Experts explain the decrease in their number by the chosen tactics of the Russian Armed Forces
In less than a month, the contingent of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine has decreased by more than half a thousand — from 2,741 to 2,192 people. The newly arrived "soldiers of fortune" cannot compensate for the losses, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on August 9. Experts note that the desire of foreign fighters to fight well is beaten off by the artillery of the allied forces: foreigners quickly realize that they will not live long under heavy fire, and try to go home. On the same day, according to the military department, the detonation of aviation ammunition without the influence of the enemy occurred at the Crimean Saki airfield at the storage site. According to preliminary data, seven people were injured in the village of Novofedorovka due to explosions, including two children, one local resident was killed.
Mercenaries suffer losses
The Russian Defense Ministry continues to track foreign mercenaries and specialists who have arrived in Ukraine to participate in hostilities.
— For almost four weeks — from July 8 to August 5 — as a result of the offensive actions of the Russian Armed Forces and units of the People's militia of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, the number of mercenaries in Ukraine decreased from 2,741 to 2,192 people, — said the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov.
At the same time, 175 more "soldiers of fortune" have arrived in Ukraine over the past weeks, including 81 militants from Georgia.
— The number of mercenaries arriving in Ukraine does not cover the losses in their ranks. During the specified period, the destruction of 335 foreign fighters has been reliably confirmed," the general added.
According to him, in almost a month another 389 militants left the territory of Ukraine on their own. Poland is the leader in terms of the rate of reduction of mercenaries in Ukraine: 99 were destroyed, 146 militants left.
Also, over the past four weeks, 36 mercenaries from Canada, 33 from Romania and 21 from the United States were killed.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
According to the statistics of the military department, since the beginning of the special military operation, 7,282 people have arrived in Ukraine, 2,682 have already been destroyed, and 2,408 mercenaries have gone home.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has already stated that they record and monitor the stay in Ukraine of every "soldier of fortune". Moreover, even instructors arriving for training, as well as to assist in the operation and repair of supplied Western weapons, are taken into account.
For a mercenary, the most important condition for staying in a combat zone is personal safety, military expert Vladislav Shurygin told Izvestia.
— The "Soldiers of Fortune" should know that they are going to hunt people now, and then they will return home, — the expert explained. — As soon as they begin to feel serious danger, they try to leave the combat zone. A good argument that helps to take mercenaries out of the game is the tactics that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation currently adhere to. In the trenches under the shelling, foreigners quickly lose motivation, realizing that sooner or later they will be killed or maimed. This explains the tendency to reduce the number of mercenaries in Ukraine.
Vladislav Shurygin believes that foreigners in Ukraine are not entirely ideological volunteers, as they are usually represented in the Western media, but often professional military men who earn money or make a career.
— You can name several categories of mercenaries in Ukraine, — he believes. — A large number of them are listed on contracts in private military companies. There are especially many of them among the Poles, there are even divisions consisting of them. Also, soldiers of various army structures from Western countries disguise themselves as mercenaries. Here they earn combat experience for themselves — it's prestigious.
Photo: REUTERS/Nacho Doce
Image source: iz.ru
There are also classic adventurers who came for sensations and impressions, he noted.
— This is, of course, the largest category, — said Vladislav Shurygin.
Explosion of ammunition
On the afternoon of August 9, several powerful explosions occurred near the Crimean village of Novofedorovka. Their cause, according to the statement of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, was the detonation of several aviation ammunition. The incident occurred at 15:20 at a special collapsed storage area of the Saki military airfield.
The military department reported that the aircraft equipment located at the airfield was damaged. The causes of the explosion are being investigated, but, according to reports from the site, there was no fire impact on the storage site.
Later, the head of the Crimea, Sergey Aksenov, reported one dead in the explosions. The Ministry of Health of the peninsula reported that seven more victims, including two children, were taken to hospitals. There is no threat to their lives, most of them have cuts from glass fragments. According to the Crimean authorities, due to the possible spread of ammunition by the evening, a five-kilometer cordon zone was created around the airfield, the fire itself was localized.
HIMARS without shells
On August 9, the Russian armed forces continued to strike at the military infrastructure of Ukraine, as a result of which the enemy is suffering heavy losses.
— High-precision long-range sea-based weapons struck a large ammunition depot near the settlement of Uman, Cherkasy region. More than 300 rockets for HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems were destroyed, as well as a large amount of ammunition for American M777 howitzers," Igor Konashenkov said.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
Also, high-precision missiles destroyed the existing buried command post of the air forces of Ukraine.
As a result of the active offensive actions of the Russian troops, the 2nd mechanized battalion of the 14th Mechanized Brigade lost its combat capability, losing more than 340 people killed and wounded. The surviving servicemen voluntarily left their positions, the military department said.
During the day, two control points, three ammunition depots and 123 troop concentration areas were destroyed by strikes of operational-tactical, army aviation, missile troops and artillery.
During the counter-battery struggle, two artillery batteries were hit, including American M777A2 howitzers, two firing platoons of multiple rocket launchers and six artillery platoons of self-propelled and towed howitzers.
Russian air defenses shot down one MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, 17 HIMARS multiple rocket launcher shells and three unmanned aerial vehicles during the day.
— Since the beginning of the special military operation, 264 aircraft, 145 helicopters, 1711 unmanned aerial vehicles, 363 anti—aircraft missile systems, 4278 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 794 multiple rocket launchers, 3284 field artillery and mortar guns, as well as 4785 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed, - Igor listed Konashenkov.
Bulk carriers export grain
Within the framework of the "Initiative on Mutual Understanding on the safe transportation of grain from the ports of Ukraine" on August 9, Ocean Lion dry cargo ships (Liberia, cargo — corn) and Rahmi Yaji (Turkey, flour) left Chernomorsk, said the head of the National Defense Control Center of the Russian Federation, Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev.
A total of 12 ships have left Ukrainian ports since August 1, 375,131 tons of food have been exported, including: 307,831 tons of corn, 6 thousand tons of sunflower oil, 50.3 thousand tons of flour, 11 thousand tons of soybeans.
Photo: REUTERS/Mehmet Emin Caliskan
Image source: iz.ru
According to the Colonel-General, the armed formations of Ukraine (VFU) continue to use the civilian medical infrastructure for military purposes.
So, in the village of Nadbugskoye, Mykolaiv region, in the building of a tuberculosis dispensary, there are territorial defense units and a weapons depot. All patients, regardless of their state of health, were expelled from the medical institution.
In Cherkasy, a strongpoint, armament and ammunition depots were equipped in the ambulance building on Ostafiy Dashkevich VFU Street, roadblocks and firing points were deployed. The approaches to the building are mined.
In Kramatorsk (DPR), barracks and firing points are now in the building of the city hospital No. 3, while medical staff and patients have not been evacuated and are actually being used by nationalists as a human shield.
In Zalizny (DPR), on the territory of the hospital of the city hospital on Pioneer Avenue, the militants of nationalist battalions have placed artillery and MLRS, from which they systematically fire at nearby settlements.
— Under the pretext of allegedly ensuring security, the nationalists forbade residents of nearby houses to leave their apartments, all their attempts to evacuate to safe areas are severely suppressed, — Mikhail Mizintsev stressed.
Stay in the ranks
On August 9, the Ministry of Defense told about the soldiers and officers who showed courage and dedication during the special operation.
During the offensive, Oleg Gorbunov's unit engaged in battle, during which he discovered a fortified firing point. Oleg opened fire and, together with his subordinates, destroyed about 10 militants, preventing losses among the crew of the combat vehicle. After that, he discovered the enemy's automotive equipment and, approaching unnoticed, together with the crew destroyed two pickups with weapons and combat crews.
Photo: RIA Novosti
Image source: iz.ru
— Thanks to the professionalism of Oleg Gorbunov, the crew of the infantry fighting vehicle inflicted significant losses on the defending enemy, — the military department noted.
Captain Vladislav Nefedov provided uninterrupted communication of the command post. During the redeployment, the head patrol discovered well-camouflaged positions of Ukrainian nationalists, and it was decided to join the battle. Vladislav correctly distributed the crew, took up the defense and destroyed 10 nationalists with targeted shooting. The enemy left the battlefield, and the column continued to move.
A few days later, the positions of Russian troops were shelled by nationalists. Vladislav provided communication and operability of technical means and equipment under continuous fire. After another shell burst, his subordinate was wounded. Vladislav took the wounded man to a safe place, where he provided first aid, which saved his comrade's life.
The guard company of Captain Pavel Endovitsky successfully liberated several settlements, after which the enemy launched a counteroffensive. A battle ensued, during which the Marines lured the enemy into a tactical bag and, using an armored group and attached army aviation, finally shackled the actions of enemy units.
Some of the nationalists tried to break out of the encirclement, but Pavel, having assessed the threat in a timely manner, prevented this maneuver. From a shell that exploded nearby, the captain received a concussion and lost consciousness, but after recovering, he continued to lead the company.
Skilful actions of Captain Endovitsky's guard thwarted the enemy's counteroffensive and helped to take control of the settlement from which the enemy came, the Defense Ministry noted.
Andrey Fedorov
Bogdan Stepovoy
Anton Lavrov
