In Ukraine's Donbass region, LPR Head claims mercenaries arriving as military instructors

The leader of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), Leonid Pasechnik stated that a growing number of mercenaries are arriving in the Donbass region of Ukraine under the pretence of military instructors, Sputnik reported on January 31. He pointed out that when Western countries say they're sending 200 instructors to Kiev with weaponry to help train Ukrainian servicemen, it's likely that these instructors are narrow specialists from military companies who, in the event of a conflict escalation, could use the weapons provided on the Donbass line of contact.

"This is not a secret at all, it is official data that hundreds of foreign instructors from NATO countries are on a rotational basis on the territory of Ukraine... In addition, outright mercenaries also arrive in Ukraine under the guise of instructors", Pasechnik told Sputnik.

He further stated that there is no guarantee that these mercenary instructors will follow the commands of Ukrainian commanders in any way. They have their own bosses and responsibilities, according to Sputnik. The Russian Foreign Ministry's Department for New Challenges and Threats has raised worry about allegations of ongoing action in southern Ukraine by US private military companies (PMCs). There are Academi (Blackwater) PMC mercenaries in Donbass, according to LPR, Sputnik reported.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict

Tensions in the region have risen in recent weeks, with the United States and the United Kingdom accusing Russia of plotting an invasion of Ukraine. The charges were disputed by Moscow, who called them fake news and accused the West of plotting a provocation in Donbass. President Vladimir Putin has even stated that NATO countries are pumping additional weaponry into Ukraine, posing a security threat to Russia.

After Donetsk and Lugansk declared independence in the spring of 2014, the battle in eastern Ukraine began. Following the February 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev, Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation to destroy independence-seeking rebels in the country's east. Up to 31,000 individuals were killed in the battle, with tens of thousands more injured and more than 2.5 million people internally or externally displaced.

Ukraine is not a NATO member, and Russia is seeking assurances from the West that it would never join the military alliance, which it views as a direct threat to its security. NATO's 30 members include the United States, the United Kingdom, and the former Soviet republics of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. In the event of an armed attack, the military alliance members have vowed to assist one another.

(With inputs from agencies)