More than 30 000 of mercenaries fight in Eastern Ukraine in zone of hostilities. According to different estimations, this number includes from 6 to 10 000 of servicemen from Russian Armed Forces.
Major General, representative of General Staff of Ukrainian Armed Forces Alexander Rozmaznin informed this during press briefing at Ukraine Media Crisis Center.
‘Today 32 400 people are fighting on the territory of Donbas, including 6-10 thousand soldiers of Russian Armed Forces. All the others are mercenaries and representatives of the so-called illegal armed groups. All nations of Russian Federation are represented by these mercenaries. Chechen people, the so-called ‘Kadyrivists’ [Ramzan Kadyrov – president of Chechen Republic] constitute the majority, representatives of the so-called Cossacks take the second place. Cossacks have become famous as looters of the highest category’, – Major General Rozmaznin explained.
According to the representative of General Staff of Ukrainian Armed Forces, mercenaries from different countries fight on the side of terrorists. Ukrainian servicemen caught mercenaies from Israel, Serbia, Spain, Italy, Brasil.
Meanwhile, about 1000 of foreigners fight for Ukraine as part of volunteer battalions.
‘There are people that sympathize with our country, they have come directly to help us. This is perhaps thousand or maybe more people that have made choise for our country. There are citizens of USA, France, Russia among those who fight on the side of Ukraine, there are even officers and soldiers in active service. Participation in hostilites on the side of Ukraine gives them the right to obtain Ukrainian citizenship’, – Rozmaznin said.
Source: uacrisis.org