The family of a British man allegedly captured by Russian forces while fighting in Ukraine have described footage of him in captivity as “propaganda” and begged Vladimir Putin to “treat him with humanity”. Images on Russian television appeared to show Aiden Aslin, 28, originally from Nottinghamshire, being led around in handcuffs with a cut on his forehead. Aslin, who is thought to have been fighting with the Ukrainian marines, told his family days ago that they had been left with “no choice but to surrender” because they had run out of weapons. A Russian state-controlled television channel broadcast footage, originally shared on social media, showing Aslin in captivity. His grandmother Pamela Hall said on Friday: “It’s propaganda. Ukraine is his adopted country. He’s engaged to a Ukrainian lady, they live together. “He was due to get married this month, and they were talking about setting up a new home together, children – great-grandchildren in my case.” Ang Wood, the Briton’s mother, called on the Kremlin to treat her son as a prisoner of war in accordance with international rules, and for the British government to “take Putin down”. Wood told the BBC: “He called me and said they have no weapons left to fight. I love my son, he is my hero. They put up one hell of a fight. Boris [Johnson] needs to take Putin down.” She said she recognised her son from images released in Russia because of his distinctive tattoos. “It’s Aiden, I can’t deny it. It’s him,” she said. “I’m in bits. My son will be scared just as we are.” She added: “I now hold Vladimir Putin to the terms of the Geneva convention. Aiden is a serving member of the Ukrainian armed forces and as such is a prisoner of war and must be treated with humanity. “It already looks like he has been beaten up. It is time now for the British government to get involved and help secure Aiden’s release.” Aslin had been defending the besieged city of Mariupol with his unit during heavy fighting in recent weeks. But after 48 days, he said he had to surrender. “We have no food and no ammunition,” a post on his Twitter account read. “It’s been a pleasure everyone – I hope this war ends soon.” Writing on Twitter about a picture of Aslin in captivity with a swollen eyelid and bruised forehead, a friend posted: “Fucking pukes have worked him over too by the looks of it. We’re going to keep in the public eye every day until he’s exchanged.” The UK Foreign Office has yet to comment. Aslin claims to have joined the Ukrainian marines in 2018, four years after the Russian annexation of Crimea. Previously Aslin fought for the Syrian Kurdish YPG against Islamic State for about a year from spring 2015. He returned to Britain the following year and was arrested by Nottinghamshire police under counter-terrorism legislation, as was routine for foreign fighters returning from Syria.