Anderson Dzheyms Skott Ris (James Scott Rees Anderson)

On November 24, 2024, in the Kursk Region, James Anderson, a 22-year-old British citizen and member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was taken prisoner by Russian forces. It is known that from 2019 to 2023, he served in the British Armed Forces and then went to fight in Ukraine.

The following day, the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Anderson for committing a terrorist act as part of a group that caused significant damage, and for mercenary activity.

According to the Russian investigation, the British national, acting alongside members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces armed with automatic small arms, rocket and artillery weapons, and using military equipment and explosive devices mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles, illegally crossed the state border of the Russian Federation in mid-November 2024 and invaded the territory of the Kursk Region. Following the incursion, with the aim of intimidating the population, causing significant property damage, and destabilizing the activities of government authorities, they committed criminal acts against the civilian population.

On November 25, 2024, the Leninsky District Court of Kursk, upon the investigator’s motion, ordered Anderson to be held in pretrial detention.

On March 5, 2025, the 2nd Western District Military Court found James Anderson guilty and sentenced him to 19 years of imprisonment, with the first 5 years to be served in prison, with the remainder to be served in a maximum-security correctional colony. The verdict was not appealed and became final.