A British veteran who was captured by pro-Russian forces during fighting in Ukraine said that he was forced to listen to ABBA’s hit song “Mamma Mia” on repeat for hours on end.
The pro-Russian separatists also forced Shaun Pinner, 48, to listen to Slipknot and also Cher’s “Believe,” he told the Sun. He detailed other abuses from the guards as well, such as beating, electrocution, and mock executions, but seemed particularly focused on being forced to listen to the hit Swedish pop band.
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“I never want to listen to an ABBA song again or see a loaf of bread. I just am so lucky to be home,” he told the outlet. “I never want to hear another ABBA song again. I hated them anyway, so it really was torture.”
Pinner, a veteran in the British army, was serving in Ukraine’s armed forces when Russia invaded in February. He fought in the siege of Mariupol, where he was captured by soldiers of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in April. He was sentenced to death by the DPR’s court for being a “foreign mercenary,” but he was released last week in a prisoner exchange, along with several other foreign soldiers. He personally thanked Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich for his role in the exchange.
“He truly did save my life,” he told the outlet.
Though describing his time in captivity as “hell on Earth,” he and the other foreign captives “developed a comedic rapport with some of the guards,” he told ITV News.
“It was a strange feeling because we were told we were the enemy, but sometimes, we would actually have some dialogue with them,” he said.
He relayed one occasion in which the guards asked him what soccer team he supported, only for them to electrocute him with a cattle prod when he answered “West Ham,” a team the guards were apparently not a fan of. He quickly changed his answer to the local team, shouting, “Shakhtar Donetsk, Shakhtar Donetsk!” which produced uproarious laughter from the guards.
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Pinner was one of 215 Ukrainian prisoners released as part of a Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap, mediated by Saudi Arabia, which included the release of Russian-Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk and the commander of the Azov Battalion, according to Reuters.
