Russian Embassy in India states Western countries motivating mercenaries to join Ukraine

Amid Russia's military action in Ukraine, the Russian Embassy in India has announced that the Western countries have started encouraging mercenaries to fight Russians. The Russian Embassy in India stated that the United States has launched a large-scale campaign to deploy private military outfits such as Academi, Cubic and DynCorp. In addition, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Latvia, Poland and Croatia have officially permitted their countrymen to participate in the hostilities in Ukraine territory. 

In the statement released on Facebook, the Russian Embassy in India, as per the statement, insisted that the Western countries have increased the deployment of mercenaries to the combat zones in Ukraine. According to the Russian Embassy in India, the French Foreign Legion also intends to send ethnic Ukrainians and the fighters are also expected to arrive from Germany. About 200 mercenaries from Croatia have already arrived in Ukraine through Poland and joined uncontrollable nationalist units in South-East Ukraine. In the statement, the Russian Embassy pointed out that as per Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, around 16,000 foreign fighters are expected to arrive in Ukraine.

Foreign fighters commit provocations on Russian transport: Russian Embassy 

The Russian Embassy in India alleged that foreign fighters using Javelin, NLAW anti-tank weapons and Stinger portable air-defence systems foreign fighters commit provocations and raids on the Russian transport. According to Russian Embassy, foreign fighters have been trying to halt the evacuation of the wounded and the supply of ammunition. In the statement, the Russian Embassy in India also alleged that some of the foreign fighters represent "neo-Nazi organizations of their countries." Furthermore, it highlighted that "mercenaries of all kinds are not combatants under international humanitarian law and are not entitled to prisoner of war status."

Russia-Ukraine War

On the tenth day of the invasion, Russia declared a brief ceasefire in the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha to allow citizens to evacuate or flee. In another post, the Russian Embassy in India stated that the Russian Defence Ministry has informed that Russian Armed Forces have destroyed over 2,000 military assets in Ukraine. The Russian troops have destroyed 71 control points and communication centres of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 98 S-300, Buk M-1 and Osa anti-aircraft missile systems and 61 radar stations. The Russian soldiers have destroyed 66 aircraft on the ground and 16 aircraft in the air as well as 708 tanks. In addition, Russian troops have destroyed 74 multiple rocket launchers, 261 field artillery and mortars, 505 units of special military vehicles as well as 56 unmanned aerial vehicles.

Image: AP