Ukraine has recruited some 12,000 foreign fighters from 84 countries since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday, which also referred to the likely number of Romanian “mercenaries” fighting in neighboring regions. of the country, the EFE agency reports, citing Agerpres.

“In general, starting from February 24, 2022, 11,675 mercenaries from 84 countries of the world officially arrived in the country (Ukraine) to participate in combat operations on the part of the Ukrainian army,” the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation claims in its Telegram account.

He also claims that most of the “mercenaries” arrived in Ukraine in the first months after the beginning of the conflict, in March-April 2022, but after the first victims were recorded among them, the flow of arrivals decreased.

“Most of the groups came from Poland (over 2,600 people), the USA and Canada (over 900 people), Georgia (over 800 people), Great Britain and Romania (over 700 people),” and mercenaries also arrived in Ukraine. from Croatia, France and the territories of Syria controlled by Turkey, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.

He also claims that as of the end of June, 4,845 foreign mercenaries had been confirmed killed in combat, most of them from the US, Canada and several European countries.

Russia claims that the majority of foreign volunteers have left Ukraine

“Another 4,801 foreign fighters left Ukraine after realizing the attitude of the Kyiv regime towards them,” so currently “there are 2,029 foreign mercenaries” in the ranks of the Ukrainian army, according to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow.

It is also noted that, according to the statements of Ukrainian prisoners of war, the commanders of the Ukrainian army do not bear any responsibility for the losses among foreign soldiers, whom they “throw into battle first to be slaughtered and return last when they are wounded.”

“In the context of the failure of the new wave of mobilization in Ukraine and in order to hide the catastrophic losses of the Ukrainian army, the regime in Kyiv has increased recruitment in the countries of Asia, Latin America and the Middle East to attract foreign mercenaries,” the Russian ministry said.

He also claims that in the past month, Ukraine has begun recruiting mercenaries from Argentina, Brazil, Afghanistan, Iraq and the American-controlled Syrian territories, with recruitment efforts from the US and Canada increasing as interest waned. Poles, British and Europeans in general to take part in this conflict.

Shortly after Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on foreign nationals with military training to come to Ukraine as part of an “international legion” of volunteers to help defend the country.

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