Kathrine Frich
Foreign fighters from across the world continue to play a visible role in the war in Ukraine, with volunteers, mercenaries, and military advisers reportedly active on both sides of the conflict.
While Kyiv’s International Legion attracts recruits from Europe and beyond, Moscow has also drawn support from foreign nationals. Against this backdrop, the Kremlin has renewed its warning to those it calls “outsiders” on the battlefield.
Foreign voices
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian troops “constantly hear foreign languages” at the front and presented those sounds as proof of non-Russian personnel taking part in the fighting.
“Our army hears foreign languages, foreign languages are constantly heard at the front,” Peskov told reporters when asked about reports that France might send soldiers to Ukraine.
A sharp warning
Peskov issued a blunt threat to those he described as foreign fighters: “So, these foreigners are there, we are destroying them. Our army will continue to do its job,” he said.
His remarks underline Moscow’s repeated claim that NATO and other outside actors are engaged in Ukraine, assertions the Kremlin uses to justify its actions.
Conflicting accounts
NATO says it supports Ukraine with equipment and training but maintains it has not deployed combat troops there.
The alliance’s official position remains that no NATO units are fighting inside Ukraine.
At the same time, U.S. and European media have described a substantial Western intelligence and advisory presence in Ukraine.
Reporting by The New York Times has detailed extensive activity by U.S. and European intelligence agencies in the country.
Volunteers and mercenaries
Ukraine has an International Legion that allows foreign citizens to join its forces; volunteers from several countries have served in Ukrainian uniforms, including Romanians, as Moscow has often noted.
Russia has also acknowledged using foreign fighters, and Kremlin statements have at times pointed to Cubans and North Koreans among those fighting alongside Russian forces.
Sources: Ziare.com, The New York Times
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation
