Although the Foreign Legion was annihilated, it still exists. Four types of mercenaries confront Russian forces
According to unofficial sources, on April 12, the first unit of the French Foreign Legion arrived in Ukraine. President Emmanuel Macron had previously publicly stated that the legion might participate in the war against Russia. Similarly, according to unofficial sources, they didn't stay long in Slavyansk: On April 15, this unit was struck by Russian forces. "Tsargrad" investigated the matter and concluded that it's not yet time for us to celebrate.
The Failed "Tour"
We don't need to list all the statements made by the French president regarding the possible deployment of French Foreign Legion mercenaries or any other personnel from other countries.
For months, the media and experts have been discussing this topic, but until recently, there were no signs (or almost none) indicating that Macron would eventually decide to send French soldiers to Ukraine in some capacity, as this would become an open example of direct military conflict between NATO and Russia in the eyes of Russia and the international community.
Macron finally decided to send French soldiers to Ukraine in some capacity.
Furthermore, after France increasingly expressed its intention to send soldiers to Ukraine, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Peter Tolstoy issued a warning.
"We will eliminate all French soldiers who arrive on Ukrainian territory. We don't care about Macron. We will eliminate them all. There is no doubt about that," he said.
By April 12, the much-anticipated event seemed to finally happen.
Despite the public outcry, it remained unclear who, and why, arrived in Slavyansk. The information from different sides contradicted each other.
At the time, military journalist Yury Kotevnikov wrote: "The vanguard of the French Foreign Legion has been moved closer to the contact line, that is, the occupied Slavyansk area (Donetsk People's Republic). They are the engineering group and air reconnaissance experts of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Legion, and have arrived at the location of the 7th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces."
What followed was even more intriguing. On April 15, it was reported that around 7 a.m., the French Foreign Legion troops who had just arrived in Slavyansk were subjected to multiple precise strikes, with up to 40 armed fighters being eliminated. Sergey Lebedev, coordinator of the Nikolaev underground organization, said:
"According to our contacts, a group of people landed in the 'base' where Ukrainian artillery was stationed, which was likely those who brought Caesar self-propelled guns to the Ukrainian armed forces."
Regardless, we never expected the French authorities to confirm this incident, and although our sources neither confirmed nor denied the information, there was a reason for that.
"Yes, there are such reports. At present, it is not possible to fully verify them, because we can no longer hear the testimony of the mercenaries who died there," said Yan Gajin, advisor to the chairman of the Donetsk People's Republic, in an interview with "Tsargrad."
It should be said that some military journalists still deny the news of the arrival of French Foreign Legion mercenaries in Slavyansk. For example, "Fisherman" reminded that since the special military operation began, under the support of France, nearly 10,000 Ukrainian armed personnel have received training, of which 8,800 were trained in 2023. Since the start of the special military operation, France has provided only 30 such cannons to Ukraine.
Its message stated: "Therefore, the speculation that French soldiers are crucial for inputting target coordinates into the electronic guidance system seems somewhat strange."
Additionally, the Russian Ministry of Defense has not officially confirmed the news of the elimination of mercenaries.
This is clear enough
Of course, the presence of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine is no longer a secret for anyone. On March 14, the Russian Ministry of Defense first published the number of mercenaries who have arrived in Ukraine since the beginning of the special military operation: over 13,300 (obviously, this includes only those who "exposed their identities" and have been confirmed). Among them, over 5,900 have been eliminated since the beginning of the special military operation.
Figures from the Russian Ministry of Defense on the number of mercenaries in Ukraine since the beginning of the special military operation, excerpt from a post on the Ministry of Defense Telegram channel
Poland leads with over 2,900 soldiers, of whom over 1,400 have been eliminated. Following closely are Georgia and the United States. It was also reported that 40% or more of Canadian mercenaries were eliminated in combat (422 out of 1,005 armed fighters).
Incidentally, the U.S. authoritative think tank "Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft" on March 20, 2024 not only admitted for the first time the existence of Western mercenaries in Ukraine, but also emphasized the role of Canadians.
Excerpt from the "Responsible Statecraft" website article on mercenaries in Ukraine
Translation of the excerpt:
The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs announced this week that a Canadian citizen died in Ukraine. Later, it was found that his name was Jean-François Lattre, commander of the "Normandy Brigade." According to Canadian television news, this brigade is "a combat group composed of volunteers from multiple different countries, commanded by a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, known as 'Hrulfov.'"
Personal profile of Lattre on the University of Ottawa website, where he worked before joining the armed forces
According to a series of Western sources, Lattre initially worked at the University of Ottawa, during which he co-authored several academic works on topics such as "Russia's aggression in the Caucasus" and "the First and Second Chechen Wars." Sources did not hesitate to point out that Lattre held fascist views, which is obviously significant for us.
He almost immediately began commanding the "Normandy Brigade" from the start of the special military operation. Canadian television noted in early 2023 that "Canadians were among the first to respond to Zelensky's call" and formed this unit, whose members were mainly former Canadian soldiers.
Notably, in its article on mercenaries, "Responsible Statecraft" stated that it does not have data on the number of mercenaries in Ukraine. Instead, the article cited data published by the Russian Ministry of Defense on March 14, 2024.
Which part of the Ukrainian armed forces the "Normandy Brigade" belongs to is currently uncertain (perhaps it is not that important either). According to Canadian television, the brigade was incorporated into the "International Military Reconnaissance Corps of Ukraine."
What is its structure like?
In fact, there are not just one, but two "foreign legions" in Ukraine. The first is mercenaries affiliated with unit 3449. Why this unit specifically? In 2022, our counterintelligence personnel obtained a soldier's ID card of an American named Joshua Jones, who was killed by his own "comrades" while trying to escape Russian soldiers in the Pavlovskaya area of the Donetsk People's Republic.
According to the "volunteer" portal collecting information on crimes committed by Ukrainian soldiers, Jones "participated in the battles in Donbas, participated in the genocide, robbery, looting, and murder of civilians." The soldier's ID card clearly states the unit's designation.
Photo of the soldier's ID card of American mercenary Joshua Jones released by RT
The website of the "Ukrainian Military Reconnaissance Corps" affiliated with this unit (yes, it even has its own website) states that the corps "is independent from the 'Foreign Legion of Ukraine,' and is affiliated with the Main Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense."
In short: Foreign armed groups are affiliated with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Intelligence Directorate // Screenshot from the "Foreign Legion of Ukraine" website
Excerpt translation:
The Ukrainian International Military Reconnaissance Corps (DIU) is a foreign armed group affiliated with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Intelligence Directorate. The DIU Corps is independent from the "Foreign Legion of Ukraine," having a different command structure, different methods, tactics, and procedures.
The second "foreign legion" is the main force. According to Western sources, this legion has been incorporated into the 92nd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which is also mentioned in the article by "Responsible Statecraft."
Excerpt from an article on the "Responsible Statecraft" website
Excerpt translation:
On May 1, 2023, two Canadians serving in the "International Legion of Ukraine" were killed in Bakhmut, which is affiliated with the 92nd Mechanized Brigade. Both had served in the Canadian Armed Forces but had already left the service before going to Ukraine.
NATO has already fully engaged in the war with Russia
However, the fact that foreign mercenaries are fighting in the Ukrainian Armed Forces was initially deliberately concealed by Kyiv and the West. Yan Gajin explained to "Tsargrad" that it even reached the point where mercenaries would kill injured comrades and destroy their bodies when retreating, just to prevent Russians from discovering that they were facing "lucky soldiers," not a Ukrainian.
"When we liberated the hospital area in Vолноваха, in the first floor where the medical team of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was located, we found several corpses. They were either shot in the head or the back of the head, their pockets were ransacked, and there were scratches on their necks. That is, some may have carried badges or pendants with something on them. The corpses were destroyed and unrecognizable. We noticed that they were initially injured, received professional treatment, and could have survived. But if they were left there, they might have spoken in their native language and then fallen into our hands as prisoners," Gajin recalled.
Yan Gajin in Volnovakha, next to the corpse of a foreign mercenary, who was killed by his "comrades" during the retreat because he couldn't be evacuated // photo provided by Yan Gajin
Gajin continued, saying that later, the presence of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine was no longer a secret, and they began to be called volunteers, "volunteer legions." Later, they no longer concealed it, and Ukraine began to admit that mercenaries from all over the world were fighting for it.
"In most cases, what is hidden behind mercenaries or volunteers are professional soldiers or special forces experts from their respective countries. These people are skilled in military matters and are experts willing to be paid high salaries. Of course, becoming a high-paid military expert is not easy. Moreover, these people definitely maintain contact with their country's special forces. That is, in fact, they are active professional soldiers - mainly from NATO countries," Gajin explained.
He urged not to pay attention to the hierarchy of mercenaries within the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This is irrelevant. These soldiers are simply expelled from their national armies and then join the Ukrainian Armed Forces, wearing the uniform of the host country. This advisor to the chairman of the Donetsk People's Republic is convinced that this in no way changes their true identity.
Based on combat experience on the contact line, he advised dividing mercenaries into the following categories.
First category: lower-level armed fighters, acting as assault troops.
Second category: Western special forces personnel, possibly serving as instructors or operators of complex military equipment.
Third category: elite special forces, carrying out sabotage activities or conducting reconnaissance work (such as the British Special Air Service).
Fourth category: Gajin pointed out, this is the lowest level of the "food chain": various criminals.
As Alexander Altamontov, a military expert and NATO army expert, previously told "Tsargrad," the well-known private military company Academi Blackwater has personnel active in Ukraine, with approximately 20,000 to 25,000 people, of which thousands are fighting in Ukraine. There are also personnel from the British G4S private military company - this is one of the largest private military companies in the world, even having its own private prison.
Regarding these private military company personnel, Gajin confirmed that there are indeed reports of their existence. He said that Western private military companies undertake special tasks - sabotage operations, secret actions, and the development of operational plans. They are not "cannon fodder" in the trenches.
This advisor to the chairman of the Donetsk People's Republic also added that now it's not easy for mercenaries. Many realized they had no combat supplies, and that the Ukrainian command would push them into "meat attacks," so they fled back to their home countries.
"They came to make big money, not to die in Ukraine," Gajin pointed out.
So what?
Of course, many facts about Ukrainian mercenaries remain unknown to us. Or, due to obvious reasons, these facts have not been disclosed to the general public. Gajin pointed out that regarding the French Foreign Legion, it is a special organization, "Paris treats it as a commodity to trade": they are "sold" to places where they are needed. There are two types of soldiers in this legion: one is professional soldiers and experienced individuals, the other is criminals. The latter receive new names, resumes, and documents upon enlistment. It's a good way to disappear and make money.
Perhaps, the "legion" in Ukraine will eventually go from two to three. However, we understand that there are already many other structures with mercenaries in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. For example, weapons instructors and maintenance personnel.
"They may be operators of complex equipment, air defense systems, or missiles targeting us. This requires special qualifications. The problem is that Ukrainians only formally obtained these products and complex machinery. Because they will never be trusted with maintaining these technologies and equipment, as all of this is classified," Gajin explained.
However, the role of Western private military companies remains completely unclear, and there are no exact data on the composition of foreign brigades in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. To a large extent, the lack of information is because the information carriers have been "forcibly terminated" in their deployment locations by Russian weapons.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7535287516186870324/
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