The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation named the countries from which foreigners came to fight, and announced how many of them died
On June 17, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the number of military mercenaries stationed on the territory of Ukraine. Poland, Canada and the USA were in the top three countries from which the "soldiers of fortune" came the most. At the same time, the military department noted that foreign formations are suffering serious losses. For example, out of 530 American mercenaries in Ukraine, 214 people were killed. Experts note that the "legionnaires" do not greatly influence the course of hostilities. And from the point of view of international law, such people are criminals. On the same day, the Ukrainian military from the Azot plant began to surrender in Severodonetsk.
Georgians, Poles, Canadians
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the flow of foreign mercenaries who once traveled to Ukraine is turning in the opposite direction. "Soldiers of fortune" against the background of Kiev's military failures are coming to the country less and less often, and the survivors are trying to leave it as soon as possible.
— The recent empty—mouthed statements about almost "20 thousand" foreigners "fighting" against the Russian armed forces are an ordinary lie, — said the official representative of the Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation records and tracks the stay of each mercenary in Ukraine. Moreover, even instructors arriving for training, as well as to assist in the operation and repair of supplied Western weapons, are taken into account, the general added.
In total, the lists of the Ministry of Defense today include mercenaries and specialists in the operation of weapons from 64 countries. The first three looks like this — Poland (1831 arrived, 378 destroyed), Canada (601-162) and the USA (530-214).
Photo: REUTERS/Serhii Nuzhnenko
Image source: iz.ru
In Europe, Romania follows Poland — 504 arrivals, 102 deaths, 98 departures. The UK is in third place with 422 arrivals, 101 deaths, and 95 departures.
Canada supplied the most mercenaries from the American continent: 601 arrived, 162 were destroyed, 169 left. The USA is in second place: 530 arrived, 214 died, 227 left.
From the Middle East, Transcaucasia and Asia, the most, 355 mercenaries, came from Georgia, of which 120 were destroyed and 90 left Ukraine. This is followed by militants of terrorist formations transferred from the US—controlled areas of the Syrian Trans-Euphrates - 200 people. As of today, 80 of them have been destroyed and 66 have left Ukraine.
In total, 6956 people have arrived in Ukraine since the beginning of the special military operation, 1956 have already been destroyed, 1779 have left.
— 3,221 mercenaries are still alive, have not yet been captured, or have not reached the Ukrainian border yet, — concluded Igor Konashenkov.
They kill for money
Mercenaries are people who, from the point of view of international law, are criminals threatening the stability of the world order, former UN Deputy Secretary General Sergei Ordzhonikidze told Izvestia.
— They do not fall under the protection of the Geneva Convention on the Rules of Warfare, — the expert explained. — There is also a special international convention on combating mercenary activities. It says that countries should fight this phenomenon, because it undermines the sovereignty, territorial integrity of states, and poses a threat to the world order. Ukraine, like Russia, is a party to this convention. And mercenaries are criminal criminals. They will be subject to the legislation of the State to which they were captured. In the DPR, for example, the death penalty is imposed for mercenary activity.
Photo: REUTERS/Serhii Nuzhnenko
Image source: iz.ru
According to Sergei Ordzhonikidze, mercenaries do not significantly affect the course of hostilities. He also noted that it is necessary to tell about the captured mercenaries in the media.
"They earn money by killing people," the diplomat stressed. — Their faces and deeds will not cause sympathy among ordinary people and there will be fewer people willing to fight.
Western countries finance mercenaries — through Ukraine, the expert is sure.
— Kiev pays money to mercenaries, but where does it get it? The West gives them," the former UN Deputy Secretary General summed up.
The Azov headquarters was destroyed
Allied forces continue fighting in the Lisichansk-Severodensk agglomeration. On June 17, the Ukrainian military began to surrender at the Azot plant in Severodonetsk, the representative of the People's Militia of the LPR Andrei Marochko said.
— We will not announce the number and from which units they are for the time being for their own safety, — he noted. — Now the detachments are actively working at the enterprise, and the relatives of those who surrendered may be persecuted on the territory of Ukraine.
On the same day, high-precision air-launched missiles destroyed the headquarters of the Azov nationalist formation unit near the village of Pesochin in the Kharkiv region (banned in the Russian Federation). In addition, 18 areas of concentration of the AFU troops, 10 firing positions of artillery and mortar batteries, including six Grad MLRS batteries and two warehouses of rocket and artillery weapons and ammunition were hit during the day, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported on June 17.
Ka-52 attack helicopters at the field airfield of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the zone of a special military operation in Ukraine
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti
Planes and helicopters of the Russian Aerospace Forces hit 58 areas of concentration of manpower and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
— As a result of air strikes, more than 200 nationalists were destroyed, two launchers of Buk-M1 and Osa-AKM anti-aircraft missile systems in the areas of the settlements of Krasnaya Gora and Artemovsk of the DPR, an ammunition depot in the Lisichansk area of the LPR, 10 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, six field artillery guns, four launchers multiple rocket launchers and nine special vehicles," Igor Konashenkov clarified.
Russian air defense systems shot down a Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force and 15 unmanned aerial vehicles, including one Bayraktar-TB2, during the day.
A missile of the Tochka-U operational-tactical missile system was also intercepted near the village of Krasny Luch in the LPR and eight rockets of the Hurricane MLRS in the Kherson region, Kharkiv region, in the DPR and LPR.
Rocket troops and artillery hit 203 areas of concentration of manpower and military equipment, as well as 38 firing positions of artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the military department said.
A broken tank of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti
As a result of the strikes, more than 350 nationalists, a control point for unmanned aerial vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, eight tanks and other armored vehicles, three Grad MLRS combat vehicles, three field artillery guns and 11 special vehicles were destroyed.
— In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 205 aircraft, 131 helicopters, 1,233 unmanned aerial vehicles, 342 anti—aircraft missile systems, 3,587 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 539 multiple rocket launchers, 2013 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 3,658 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed, - Igor listed Konashenkov.
Go to the rear
On June 17, the Russian Defense Ministry told about the servicemen who showed courage and dedication in the battles. The battalion-tactical group of the Guard Sergeant Suren Balchunas was advancing on the positions of the Ukrainian nationalists.
Defending themselves, the radicals opened artillery and mortar fire on the Russian troops. The crew of the combat vehicle
Combat work of calculations of multiple rocket launchers "Grad" during a special military operation
Image Source: Photo: TASS/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Under the command of Sergeant Balchunas, he suppressed enemy artillery with accurate fire. Suren personally destroyed five enemy artillery systems and about 20 nationalists.
— The brave and selfless actions of Suren Balchunas helped the Russian troops to take a strategically important area under their control, — the Defense Ministry said.
The unit of Private Dinar Imangulov, landing from a helicopter at a strategically important airfield, engaged in battle with superior enemy forces. Under mortar-artillery and sniper fire, Dinar destroyed the firing points on duty and took part in taking control of the airfield checkpoint.
Imangulov deployed a communications center at the airfield, where he was on round-the-clock combat duty, ensuring uninterrupted transmission of information.
Acting as part of the convoy's security, the tank crew of Senior Sergeant Pavel Malakhov discovered two Ukrainian T-64 tanks and a group of nationalists armed with grenade launchers. Having assessed the situation, the senior sergeant decided not to carry out a frontal attack, but to go to the enemy in the rear. Once behind the back of the Ukrainian detachment, the tankers destroyed two Ukrainian T-64s with well-aimed fire. Disorganized nationalists, left without the support of tanks, were destroyed by the forces of the column.
Thanks to the actions of Senior Sergeant Pavel Malakhov, the column of Russian troops managed to avoid losses among personnel and arrive in a given area on time, the Defense Ministry noted.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Andrey Fedorov
