MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th June, 2023) At least two foreign mercenaries fighting for Ukraine have been wounded in a Russian strike on the city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), CNN reported.
Russia's Defense Ministry reported on June 28 that a point of temporary deployment of the commanders of the 56th motorized infantry brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kramatorsk was hit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked about the Kremlin's attitude toward Kiev's statement that civilians were allegedly killed as a result of the Russian strike on Kramatorsk, said Russia does not attack civilian infrastructure, but hits military infrastructure-related facilities.
According to the US broadcaster, American mercenary Nick Duckworth said he and his "colleagues," including UK mercenary Mo Hornik, escaped with minor injuries.
The report quoted Duckworth as saying there was a "kids' party", humanitarian workers, journalists and "very few actual military personnel" at the site.
In November 2022, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said over 8,000 mercenaries from more than 60 countries had arrived in Ukraine, the largest groups coming from Poland, the United States, Canada, Romania and the UK, despite the fact that in many countries mercenary activities are prohibited by law and prosecuted. Over 3,000 foreign mercenaries had already been killed by that time, the same number had returned home. According to Western media estimates, as of January, between 1,000 and 3,000 foreign mercenaries were operating in the Ukrainian forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on May 16 that Russia was successfully hitting Ukraine's military targets with long-range precision weapons, destroying weapons depots and foreign mercenaries.
Russia's Defense Ministry has repeatedly said Ukrainian armed units place weapons and military personnel in residential buildings, hospitals, schools, kindergartens and other civilian facilities, using civilians as human shields. Moscow has called such actions "terrorist tactics." The Russian ministry said foreign mercenaries would be killed wherever they are.
