Russia has said nearly 2,000 foreign mercenaries have been killed in Ukraine since the start of its military operation, AFP reported.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said a total of 6,956 “mercenaries and weapons specialists” from 64 countries had arrived in Ukraine since the conflict began, with “1,956 already destroyed”. Others left the country in 1779.
The statement of the department states that Poland is the “absolute leader” among European countries in the number of fighters sent to Ukraine, followed by Romania and Britain.
Among the so-called “Mercenaries” also have fighters from Canada, the United States and Georgia.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense three Bulgarians were also in Ukraine. One of them has returned, and two others are still there, the Telegraph reports.
The ministry said the number of foreign fighters was declining and many were leaving Ukraine “amid a growing number of military failures by the regime in Kyiv and huge daily losses of manpower and equipment”.
In April, a European official announced that up to 20,000 mercenaries from Russia’s private military group Wagner, as well as those from Syria and Libya, were fighting on the side of Russian forces in Ukraine.
He is from the American continent Canada – 601 arrived, 162 destroyed, 169 left. 530 mercenaries entered Ukraine from the United States, 214 died and 227 left.
From Georgia a large number of volunteers also arrived – 355 mercenaries. 120 of them were killed and 90 left.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, fighters from terrorist groups have also been spotted in Ukraine. That’s 200 people, 80 of whom were killed and 66 left.
The British newspaper “The Telegraph” reported that two American mercenaries were captured by Russian forces. White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre said the United States could not confirm the information, but was verifying it. The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic has already sentenced to death two British volunteers and a Moroccan.
Earlier this month, a court in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine sentenced two Britons, Aiden Aslin and Sean Piner, and Moroccan Brahim Saadun to death for acting as mercenaries and trying to overthrow the government.
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