Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia is detecting foreign mercenaries in Ukraine and that several of them have been captured in recent days, CNN reported.

“We detect foreign mercenaries and foreign instructors both on the battlefield and in educational institutions. In my opinion, yesterday and the day before yesterday, someone was captured for the second time,” Putin said at a press conference following negotiations with the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, in Sochi.

Putin added that Russia does not need to be invited to fight from outside, as it has recently enrolled almost 300,000 people as volunteers in the army.

“This morning I received a report – 300,000 contracts were signed by people who, I want to emphasize, are ready to sacrifice their lives in the interests of the Motherland, protecting the interests of Russia,” he said.

Putin noted that the new units fighting in Ukraine are equipped with modern weapons and equipment.

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