Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
But is it true?
But is it true?
What is happening?
Russian state-aligned media is once again accusing NATO of deploying soldiers to Ukraine.
A recent piece in Moskovsky Komsomolets quotes Stanislav Krapivnik—a former U.S. Army officer turned Russian commentator—who claims NATO personnel are quietly replacing Ukrainian troops on the battlefield.
“Hospitals in Kharkiv are full of Frenchmen”
One of Krapivnik’s more startling assertions is that hospitals in Kharkiv are “full of Frenchmen.”
He describes a situation where foreign fighters make up a growing number of Ukraine’s wounded, suggesting their increasing presence in frontline combat roles.
Foreign doctors allegedly running military hospitals
According to Krapivnik, even Ukraine’s military hospitals are now run by NATO-aligned medical professionals.
He argues that foreign doctors are tasked with stabilizing wounded soldiers—whom he refers to as “Nazis”—and transporting them out of the country, a term echoing Russia’s longstanding wartime propaganda.
NATO preparing Ukraine for a wider war, Krapivnik claims
Krapivnik says NATO isn’t just helping Ukraine with equipment or training but is actively preparing the country for a future, larger-scale war with Russia.
He alleges NATO’s current involvement serves as a warm-up for a full-scale conflict.
French, Germans, and Scandinavians top the list
Citing battlefield statistics, Krapivnik claims the French have the highest number of casualties, followed by Scandinavians. Americans, British, and Czechs reportedly come next.
Recently, an influx of German fighters has also been observed, he says.
Poles once led the charge
He recalls first encountering foreign mercenaries near Svatove in late 2022, including Polish fighters celebrating Catholic Christmas.
According to Krapivnik, Polish presence has since diminished due to high casualties—claiming over 10,000 Poles have died in the conflict.
Colombian fighters replacing Polish mercenaries?
The former officer now alleges a new group is taking the Poles’ place—Colombian ex-military and cartel fighters.
He suggests these men turned to mercenary work following Colombia’s civil war, pointing to a growing Latin American footprint in Ukraine.
Czech equipment operated by foreign units
In the Kharkiv region, Krapivnik claims to have observed Czech fighters operating “Vampire” multiple launch rocket systems—Soviet-style weapons donated by Prague to Kyiv.
He asserts that Ukrainian forces are not authorized to use such systems, framing it as further evidence of direct foreign involvement.
Thousands of Finnish soldiers allegedly resigned to fight
Krapivnik also claims that 2,000 Finnish soldiers resigned from their national army in recent months.
According to him, some of these troops have since formed a Finnish brigade that’s now fighting in Ukraine.
Hospitals “hired” foreign specialists to treat foreign fighters
Another claim: Ukrainian hospitals are actively recruiting medical staff from abroad.
Krapivnik says this is done to treat the growing number of foreign nationals fighting under Ukraine’s banner, suggesting an unofficial system for managing international volunteers.
NATO’s involvement framed as a prelude to “Total War”
He paints NATO’s support not as a defensive alliance but as a war machine inching toward full-scale confrontation.
According to Krapivnik, “NATO is currently helping Ukraine fight against Russian soldiers,” but the end goal is a “total war.”
Ukraine’s expanding draft shows signs of strain
Krapivnik adds that Ukraine is exhausting its manpower reserves.
He points to recent legal changes allowing recruitment of men over 60 and women in military-critical professions.
He speculates that universal mobilization of women may soon follow.
Foreign troops in all roles — except suicide missions
He says foreign troops serve across nearly all military roles—from infantry and artillery specialists to logistical and operational planners.
However, he claims they avoid participating in high-casualty assaults, dubbed “meat” operations in Russian military slang.
That’s the claims – but what is true?
While NATO denies sending combat troops, Ukraine maintains a formal International Legion, which allows foreign volunteers to fight for Ukraine.
Among these is the Romanian Battlegroup Getica, known for its high visibility on social media.
Who is Krapivnik?
Stanislav Krapivnik is a former US Army officer, supply chain exec and military-political expert, now based in Russia.
He was born in Lugansk during the Soviet times, migrated to the US as a child, served in the US army, and has since returned to Russia.
A YouTube-channel with his picture and name has 14.2k subscribers.
Ukraine and NATO deny ground troop allegations
Both Ukraine and NATO firmly reject claims that alliance troops are operating on Ukrainian soil.
They maintain that NATO’s role is limited to providing arms, intelligence, and training.
However, foreign volunteers—acting independently—are legally permitted to fight in Ukraine’s ranks.
