British mercenary James Anderson fighting for Ukraine is charged with terrorism after being captured by Russia - and faces 35 years in jail

James Scott Rhys Anderson, 22, was reportedly captured in November while fighting for Ukraine in Russia's south-western Kursk region.

Russia's Investigative Committee said on Monday that Anderson was "directly involved in an armed conflict on Russian territory for material gain".

He has been charged with "committing a terrorist act" and of being a "mercenary", as well as causing property damage. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the terrorism charge, plus an additional 15 years for the mercenary charge.

The Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement on January 20: "The Investigative Committee of Russia has completed investigative actions in the criminal case against a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, James Scott Rhys Anderson. He is accused of committing a terrorist act and of being a mercenary (subparagraphs 'a', 'c' of Part 2 of Article 205, Part 3 of Article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation)."

The statement continued: "Investigators have established that James Anderson, for material reward, took direct part in the armed conflict as a mercenary on the territory of the Russian Federation.

"In mid-November 2024, James Anderson, armed with automatic small arms and explosive devices, illegally crossed the state border of the Russian Federation and invaded the territory of the Kursk region. Pursuing the goal of intimidating the population, causing significant property damage and destabilising the activities of government bodies, he committed criminal acts against civilians.

"As a result of operational search activities, James Anderson was detained on the territory of the Kursk region. At the request of the investigator from the Russian Investigative Committee, the court has placed the British mercenary James Anderson in pre-trial detention."

Story: NewsX