Ukrainian Army Backed Foreign Mercenaries In Battlefield Reflect ...

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Read Today's Paper Ukrainian Army backed foreign mercenaries in battlefield reflect state of affairs in KievSECTIONSUkrainian Army backed foreign mercenaries in battlefield reflect state of affairs in KievBy Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, ET BureauLast Updated: Jun 20, 2022, 10:57:00 AM ISTRate Story

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The U.S. State Department issued a statement acknowledging it was aware of the incident near Kharkiv. “We are aware of unconfirmed reports of two U.S. citizens captured in Ukraine. We are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with Ukrainian authorities.

The Russian Defense Ministry published on Friday the data about the foreign mercenaries fighting on Ukraine's side.

The participation of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine in the war is telling and can only be compared some of the other conflict zones where either terrorists occupy big part of land or civil war is ensuing. While earlier mercenaries from other nationalities were identified, two American nationals have now been identified. The Russian military has captured two US mercenaries who were fighting with the Ukrainian Army near Ukraine’s Kharkiv city, UK-based The Telegraph reported on June 15. The British newspaper identified the two mercenaries as Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27. Drueke reportedly served in the US Army in Iraq. told the Telegraph that they were a part of a ten-man unit that engaged in a fierce battle with a large Russian force in a town near Kharkiv on June 9. Both men went missing after the battle. Later Russian news channels reported the capture of “two Americans” near Kharkiv. A third American “volunteer” fighting in Ukraine has been reported as missing, according to The Guardian. The family of the former Marine Corps officer Grady Kurpasi disclosed that he had been missing in the Kherson area since late April. In the recent weeks, Ukrainian Army has pushed foreign mercenaries into the frontlines in Kharkiv and the Donbass region in a bid to support its forces as the Army is fast losing its soldiers on the battlefield. The mercenaries run the risk of being sentenced when captured. It may be recalled that large number of mercenaries from across the globe were present in Syria on behalf of ISIS to other throw the Assad regime. The Russian Defense Ministry published on Friday the data about the foreign mercenaries fighting on Ukraine's side. According to the ministry, 6,956 people have arrived in Ukraine since February 24, when the war started, 1,956 died in battles, while 1,779 left the country. As of Friday, at least 3,221 foreigners are fighting on the Ukrainian side, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a press briefing in Moscow. ET logo

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He claimed that the defence ministry had traced and noted the arrival of every mercenary in Ukraine. "Currently, not only mercenaries, directly taking part in hostilities as part of Ukrainian troops, are put in our databases, we also count instructors, arrived to teach, provide assistance in the operation and repair of Western weapons supplied to Ukraine," the spokesperson claimed. The Russian Defense Ministry's list includes 3,221 mercenaries and specialists from 64 countries, the spokesperson claimed. “But in the chaos at the frontlines, numerous foreigners have been able to directly participate in hostilities by establishing relationships with local military contacts. Some of these individuals have never served in the military, have never experienced combat, and have never received specialized training suitable for a battlefield role. That the foreigners are there is a suitable enough qualification for some Ukrainian units,” according to an article in The Rolling Stone, a US based monthly magazine. The U.S. State Department issued a statement acknowledging it was aware of the incident near Kharkiv. “We are aware of unconfirmed reports of two U.S. citizens captured in Ukraine. We are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with Ukrainian authorities. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment,” a State Department spokesperson said. More Americans — most of them former U.S. military are reportedly engaged in combat on the frontlines in Ukraine.Add ET Logo

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