forced to sing the Russian national anthem every morning, and if they did not comply they would be "punished for it. You would get beaten."...

having fallen in love with a Ukrainian woman, Diane Okovyta, and joined the marines ...

slept on a mat infested with lice and cockroaches. Because there was no toilet....

survived for three weeks by eating pieces of bread and water. The only time he was let out of his cell was to do propaganda or take phone calls....

captors threatened to cut off his ear. He was beaten for having a tattoo of a Ukrainian trident...

a Russian who was guarding Aslin then asked him: "Do you want a quick death or a beautiful death?"

[Aiden] Aslin said he responded that he wanted a quick death but was told: "You're going to have a beautiful death[,] and I'm going to make sure it's a beautiful death."

After being was reunited with his mother and his  fiancée this week, Aslin said: "I never thought I'd get out alive."