Britons captured by pro-Russian forces in Ukraine, including man believed to be from Sunderland, understood to have returned to the UK

It has been reported that John Harding, believed to be from Sunderland, was set free alongside Dylan Healy, Andrew Hill, Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin.

Prime Minister Liz Truss said on Wednesday that the release of five Britons had been secured by working with Ukrainian authorities and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, although the identities of the men were not initially confirmed.

Non-profit organisation the Presidium Network, which has been supporting the family of Mr Healy, told the BBC on Thursday all five were “back safely in the UK”.

Dominik Byrne, co-founder of the organisation, which has been providing aid to Kyiv, said the men were “looking forward to normality with their families after this horrific ordeal”.

The Foreign Office has not commented on the whereabouts of the men.

Mr Harding, along with Mr Hill and Mr Healy, went on trial last month in the city of Donetsk, Russian media reported.

The three, along with Swede Matthias Gustafsson and Croat Vjekoslav Prebeg, all pleaded not guilty to charges of mercenarism and “undergoing training to seize power by force”, according to Russian media.

The next court hearing in their case was scheduled for October, the Interfax news agency reported, citing a statement by the separatists’ court.

Associated Press said the 10 prisoners included citizens of Sweden, Croatia and Morocco, as well as two US military veterans, Alex Drueke, 40, and Andy Huynh, 27.

Mr Aslin’s release was confirmed by his local MP Robert Jenrick, while multiple reports also indicated that Shaun Pinner would also be returning home.

A video emerged late on Wednesday of two men sitting inside an airliner, in which Mr Aslin introduced himself and Mr Pinner, adding: “We just want to let everyone know that we’re now out of the danger zone and we’re on our way home to our families.”

A court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic had sentenced Mr Aslin to death alongside fellow British detainee Mr Pinner in July.

Ms Truss, who is visiting New York for a UN summit where world leaders are discussing the ongoing war in Ukraine, tweeted: “Hugely welcome news that five British nationals held by Russian-backed proxies in eastern Ukraine are being safely returned, ending months of uncertainty and suffering for them and their families.”

She thanked Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky “for his efforts to secure the release of detainees, and Saudi Arabia for their assistance”.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the release “brings to an end many months of uncertainty and suffering, including the threat of the death penalty, for them and their families, at the hands of Russia”.

“Tragically that was not the case for one of those detained and our thoughts remain with the family of Paul Urey.”

The British aid volunteer died earlier this year while being detained by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine.

Allan Hogarth, from Amnesty International UK, called it a “huge relief after a “sham judicial process apparently designed to exert diplomatic pressure on the UK”.