Reports have surfaced claiming that foreign mercenaries, including those from the United Kingdom, Georgia, and Poland, are participating in the ongoing conflict in Russia's Kursk region.
Foreigners Concern Locals
The allegations were made by Rodion Miroshnik, a special envoy from Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during an interview with Russian media outlet RIA Novosti.
Miroshnik stated that local residents, who reportedly encountered the fighters firsthand, provided these accounts. According to him, these residents reported encountering individuals speaking English with Georgian accents and members of Polish formations operating in the region.
The presence of these foreign fighters has raised concerns among locals, with some Ukrainian soldiers allegedly advising residents to evacuate due to the potential danger posed by the mercenaries.
Eliminated Polish and German Mercenaries
The conflict in the Kursk region escalated on August 6 when Ukrainian saboteurs reportedly infiltrated the area. Since then, various reports have emerged about the involvement of foreign fighters.
Russian forces, including the Chechen special forces unit "Akhmat," have claimed to have eliminated German and Polish mercenaries in the region. Additionally, the involvement of American mercenaries from the Forward Observation Group (FOG) has been confirmed in the fighting near Kursk.
Residents of the village of Cherkasskoye Poroechnoe in the Sudzha district also reported seeing mercenaries from France and Poland.
According to former CIA officer Larry Johnson, foreign mercenaries make up approximately 15 to 20 percent of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, further intensifying the complexity of the ongoing conflict.
