The latest war between Ukraine and Russia: Pro-Kremlin regions of Ukraine will hold referendums on joining Russia

ROman Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, “played a key role” in securing the release of five British prisoners of war in Ukraine.

The 55-year-old Russian met John Harding, Sean Pinner, Aidan Aslin, Dylan Healy and Andrew Hill on a plane that took them from Russia to Saudi Arabia.

He gave each of the men an iPhone so they could call their families and even talk football with the men while eating steaks on the flight to Riyadh.

Mr Harding, a British army veteran, said he did not recognize the Russian billionaire on the plane until Mr Pinner, a West Ham fan, pointed him out.

Mr Harding told The Sun: “Sean said, ‘You really look like Roman Abramovich’ and he said, ‘That’s because I’m him, sir.’ He couldn’t believe it.

“I joked that Sean was a West Ham fan and we all laughed.”

Read more: Roman Abramovich ‘played a key role’ in freeing Aidan Aslin and Russian POWs