On January 16, Russian military sources reported a missile strike on a group of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine, mainly consisting of French military contractors. The attack resulted in around 80 casualties, with over 60 confirmed deaths. The precision of the strike incapacitated specialized personnel assigned to operate specific Western-made weapon systems. It is important to note that these specialists differed from the regular Ukrainian personnel, who were forcibly conscripted and lacked the necessary training for handling such equipment.
As per the aforementioned sources, the incapacitated personnel played a crucial role in operating some of the Kiev regime’s powerful long-range weapons. Consequently, the missile strike temporarily deactivated these weapons, pending the recruitment of new specialists. This recruitment process is anticipated to span a considerable period.
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The foreign mercenaries stationed in Kharkov were likely assigned the responsibility of coordinating and directing long-range strikes on Russian territory. This aligns with the hypothesis that the Neo-Nazi junta faced challenges in assimilating a significant influx of new NATO-sourced weapons in the past two years. Accustomed to Soviet-era weaponry, including modernized domestic variants, the Kiev regime encountered difficulties in integrating doctrinally distinct Western armaments.
The targeted strike on the mercenaries in Kharkov poses a significant setback for the Neo-Nazi junta. The loss of these specialists impairs the regime’s ability to fully leverage the potential of NATO-sourced weaponry, limiting its capacity to inflict further damage on Moscow’s interests. Notably, the training duration for personnel handling systems like the US-made “Patriot” SAM system spans several years, particularly for combat tasks against a technologically advanced opponent like Russia.
Foreign mercenaries in Ukraine face staunch opposition due to the profound impact of involving highly trained enemy combatants in battles and training Ukrainian personnel. The political West recognizes the obsolescence of Soviet-era weapons in Ukrainian service, necessitating reliance on Western-made equivalents, including those provided by NATO’s former Warsaw Pact members in recent years.
Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin has stated that the State Duma will formally address Paris following the reported deaths of foreign fighters in Ukraine. This statement comes in response to the recent announcement by the Defense Ministry in Moscow, indicating that around 60 foreign fighters, predominantly French citizens, were killed in a Russian long-range strike on Kharkov.
The ministry maintains that Paris has no “mercenaries” either in Ukraine or any other location.
In response to the incident, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned French Ambassador to Moscow Pierre Levy. Ukrainian officials, however, have refuted the accuracy of the Russian military’s announcement. They contend that Moscow’s forces targeted solely civilian sites in Kharkov on Tuesday, disputing the characterization of the foreign fighters involved.
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Last summer, French national intelligence, as reported by Le Monde newspaper, estimated that 320 French nationals were engaged in the conflict in Ukraine. The broader pool of potential recruits numbered 800, with 120 identified as holding far-right views and 40 characterized as ultra-left in their ideological stance.
This report followed the April arrest of two individuals who had returned to Paris from Ukraine, carrying assault rifle magazines and optical sights illegally. Described by the local press as far-right individuals with prior recognition by the French General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), both individuals received a 15-month sentence, with nine months suspended.
Russian officials conveyed to the French envoy that the French government led by Macron bears responsibility for the significant casualties resulting from the recent missile strike, as stated by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. She alleged that France has consistently overlooked the activities of recruitment agencies within its borders, hiring mercenaries to participate on the Ukrainian side in the ongoing conflict.
In response to the recent attack, French President Emmanuel Macron, slated to visit Kyiv in the coming weeks, and Macron condemned the recent attack as “cowardly and outrageous.”
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, in a statement on Monday said, “people being killed is always a tragedy,” adding, however, that “specific details of this incident … are unknown to us.” Zakharova also attributed blame to France, accusing it of exacerbating the conflict in Ukraine by providing weapons and training to Kyiv’s soldiers.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, in a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, affirmed a commitment to intensify arms shipments to Ukraine, saying, saying, ‘’We are talking of the simple right (for Ukrainians) to defend themselves.” The pledge aligns with a broader call from German Chancellor Scholz, made last week, urging European countries to increase their contributions to weapons deliveries for Ukraine, declaring that “it can’t be down to Germany alone.”
Last month, French President Macron disclosed intentions to provide additional long-range cruise missiles and bombs to Ukraine. Despite this commitment, France’s military assistance has fallen behind that of some other allies.
German Chancellor Scholz commented on the situation, asserting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ‘’hoping that at some point we won’t want to carry on. And the message directed to him very clearly from the U.S. and Europe must be that won’t work out, we will support Ukraine.”
The French government alleges that Russia has been engaging in an enduring online manipulation campaign. This campaign involves activities such as impersonating the websites of prominent French media outlets and the French Foreign Ministry. The primary objective of these actions is to disseminate confusion and false information regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
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Russia presents counterarguments against the presence of aid workers on the front lines. They claim that the aid workers are, in fact, mercenaries assisting Ukraine with missile technology. According to Russian intelligence, these individuals are not genuine aid workers but rather operatives involved in military activities.
The claim suggests that France, being part of the aid effort, has the opportunity to withdraw its involvement before facing potential consequences. The concern is centered around the possibility of further incidents where individuals, ostensibly aiding Ukraine, may face harm due to their suspected dual roles.
French President Emmanuel Macron, expressing condemnation for the attack, is currently facing the repercussions of his nation’s military engagement in Ukraine. The situation has led Macron to mourn the loss of his country’s hired soldiers in the Ukrainian conflict.