Family concern after video of captured aid worker from Warrington shown on Russian TV

Dominik Bryne from the Presidium Network, who are supporting Paul Urey's family.

A video has been shown on Russian Television of the captured aid worker Paul Urey from Warrington.

The 45 year old is believed to have been taken by Russian forces on Monday 25 April at a checkpoint south of the city of Zaporizhzhia in south-eastern Ukraine.

Paul Urey, who is originally from Warrington headed out to the war zone to help those caught up in the fighting, telling his family he 'could not just sit there and do nothing'.

His mother Linda, who lives in Preston is pleading for him to be released.

The video shows Mr Urey in handcuffs and appears to have been heavily edited.

He is heard telling his interrogators he took photos of a bridge that had been blown up “to show evidence that the media in England is lying”.

His mother Linda said in a statement:

"I have watched the interview on Russian TV of my son Paul Urey."

"This is physically my son, but he is not acting in his natural way; his words are too matter of fact and his facial expressions make me not believe what he is saying. Normally he speaks fast and to the point. 

"I know my son like every mother, and this is not him being natural."

Dominik Bryne, Founder of Presidium Network says as Paul is a diabetic there are serious concerns for his welfare and where he's being held.

Mr Urey's mum has also released a video of Paul in a car with his colleague Dylan Healy, which he sent to her on the 24 April, the day before they were captured.

The pair were taken by Russian forces the following day as they were on their way to help a Ukrainian woman and her two children and take them to safety.

UK non-profit organisation Presidium Network raised the alarm when contacts had not heard from the pair since Monday, and the woman they had been trying to help leave received "strange text messages".

It is not known if Mr Urey is speaking under duress, he told his interrogators he had previously been in Iraq, Afghanistan and in Libya. It has not been possible to verify the video. His family are concerned he may have been coerced into speaking on camera.

The men travelled to Ukraine independently and had been operating on their own in the war zone and had not been associated with any aid group.