'My heart is broken', says mum of Manchester aid worker killed in Ukraine as British prisoners released by pro-Russia forces

The mother of an aid worker from Manchester who died after being captured in Ukraine said her 'heart is broken' as five British prisoners were released from captivity.

Paul Urey, 45, died in July after being captured by Russian forces whilst working as a humanitarian aid volunteer at a checkpoint south of the city of Zaporizhzhia in south-eastern Ukraine.

Daria Morozova, the human rights ombudsperson for the Moscow-supported leadership in Donetsk, branded Mr Urey a 'mercenary' and claimed he had died in captivity of chronic illness and stress. After Mr Urey's body was released by pro-Russia forces, Ukraine's foreign minister said it had showed signs of 'possible unspeakable torture.'

READ MORE:Gun used in Olivia Pratt-Korbel's murder and two other shootings it's linked to

In a exchange brokered by Saudi Arabia between Russia and Ukraine, five British nationals captured in Ukraine have now been returned to the UK and reunited with their families, the PA news agency reports.

These include Dylan Healy, from Cambridgeshire, who was captured alongside Mr Urey whilst volunteering. Aiden Aslin, John Harding, Andrew Hill and Shaun Pinner also returned to Heathrow Airport last night.

Mr Urey's devastated mother, Linda Urey, said whilst she was "happy" for the men who were freed, she felt a deep sense of grief that her son wasn't one of the men returned home to safety.

It's understood Mr Urey's body still remains in Ukraine as his family desperately try to raise the funds necessary to repatriate his body back to the UK.

"Today should have been a happy day as they've done the prisoner swap," she said. "My son should of been on that plane but he is still in Kiev almost three months dead and not coming home.

"I'm happy for those who