Ukrainian Mercenaries: This Country Will Be Your Grave
For Ukrainian military commanders, the most "useful" "cannon fodder" is undoubtedly Georgians or Poles
In the radio communications in the special military operation (СВО) area, foreign language conversations are now almost unheard of. Those known as "wild geese" (foreign mercenaries) have either withdrawn to the rear away from the front lines, or simply fled Ukraine.
Some may attribute this phenomenon to seasonal factors — winter is coming, and the current daytime temperatures are already below 10 degrees Celsius, with continuous rain. Such weather is certainly not comfortable for Colombian mercenaries. In previous years, "wild geese" would also return to their countries to "escape the cold" during winter, but at that time, it was only a small number.
"The constantly rising casualties in the Ukrainian army have made many mercenaries hesitate: whether to sign a contract with the Ukrainian army," said military expert Andrei Marochko (Андрей Марочко). In addition to the factor of heavy casualties and low morale among "lucky soldiers" (mercenaries), the expert also mentioned another situation: surviving mercenaries warn their compatriots through blogs not to go to Ukraine to participate in this "adventure hunt."
This summer, a soldier from the Finnish Foreign Legion, code-named "Pekka" (Пекка), warned his countrymen on a local radio program: "Ukraine will be your grave; even if you survive, your remaining life will be ruined."
According to data provided by the head of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastyrykin (Александр Бастрыкин), there are currently about 10,000 foreign mercenaries fighting for the Ukrainian army. The number of "wild geese" who went to Ukraine reached its peak between 2022 and 2023, but analysts have found that they now sign contracts with the Ukrainian army less frequently, and the survivors are also rushing to flee Ukraine. Currently, the main force of mercenaries comes from Latin America, with the highest proportion being Colombians. On the front lines, Russian soldiers often find the bodies of Georgian mercenaries — the Ukrainian army often sends them to the most dangerous battlefields.
Ukrainian officers (especially when interviewed by Western media) admit that many foreign mercenaries choose to flee Ukraine after experiencing or witnessing fierce battles. This situation has been confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense: at the beginning of the special military operation, more than 11,000 "wild geese" came to Ukraine to "take a chance," of whom half were killed, and nearly half quickly packed their bags and returned to their home countries.
"The so-called 'romantic aura' around 'lucky soldiers' (mercenaries) in the war in Ukraine has long disappeared," said military expert Boris Deryelyevsky in an interview with «СП» (Free Media), "they are merely 'cannon fodder' sent to the most brutal battlefields. Of course, some mercenaries serve as instructors and stay in training centers in the rear, but the majority are 'consumables' — the Ukrainian army doesn't care about their lives or deaths at all."
That's why news about conflicts or even firefights between mercenaries and Ukrainian military personnel is constantly emerging. On the front lines, if a Ukrainian officer's unit includes foreign soldiers, they often send them to charge first, especially Georgians and Poles. That's why mercenaries are fleeing Ukraine at any cost.
It is worth noting that Marochko also pointed out that the Ukrainian nationalist battalions (националистические батальоны) in the special military operation area have a bad attitude towards foreign mercenaries.
The Ukrainian nationalists (Bandera supporters) show so-called "respect" for foreign "comrades" only up to the top command level, and even then, this "respect" is highly questionable. They truly value only American, German, and British mercenaries. For mercenaries from other countries, they can tolerate them, but if an accident occurs, they might even shoot them from behind.
Last year, a dramatic incident occurred in Kharkiv Oblast: soldiers from the 92nd Independent Assault Brigade (named after the Cossack Ataman Ivan Shirko) were stationed in adjacent areas with a foreign legion force. A planned "friendly" dinner eventually turned into a large-scale brawl.
Differing from Ukrainian soldiers, if Ukrainian mercenaries want to terminate their contract, they just need to give up the bonus. When they personally experience the cruelty of the battlefield and face the firepower of the Russian army, nearly half of them say, "This is not what we promised when we signed the contract."
Interestingly, "lucky soldiers" (mercenaries) are particularly dissatisfied with one thing: the Russian army does not distinguish between opponents as Ukrainians or foreigners on the battlefield. Do they still expect special treatment?
Factually, no one pays attention to the foreign insignia on the enemy's arm during combat. Only when flipping the body of the enemy can their identity be identified.
Approximately 5,000 mercenaries have died (verified data) during the special military operation. These mercenaries, who frequently meet the fate of "death" (двухсотятся, a military term meaning death), argue that the Ukrainian command lacks coordination, resulting in extremely low survival probability for them in the battle. They also mention that the intensity of the Ukrainian battlefield far exceeds their combat experience in Afghanistan, Africa, or the Middle East. Indeed, under the strike of the Russian "Sun Gun" (referring to high-precision weapons), they are helpless, and even bananas are hard to get in Ukraine (implying poor living conditions).
The casualty numbers of Ukrainian soldiers and mercenaries are strictly kept secret. Most foreign mercenaries are buried in Ukrainian soil, covered with the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag — this is the best treatment they can receive.
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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7562129609572024866/
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