A Russian military plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners has crashed, the Russian Defense Ministry said
Russian MPs condemned the alleged presence of French “mercenaries” in Ukraine
Russian deputies on Wednesday voted for a resolution condemning the alleged presence of “Mercenary” The French are fighting for Kiev in Ukraine, a charge denied by Paris, which sees it as a new disinformation campaign by the Kremlin.
“It is regrettable that the French authorities, who once stood with our country on the initiative of politico-military détente in Europe, are prolonging the suffering of the Nazi regime in Kiev with their actions”The resolution, addressed to the French National Assembly, was written and published on the website of the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament.
On January 17, the Russian military claimed to have destroyed a building in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, where “Mercenaries, most of whom were French nationals”. There were sixty fighters “Elimination” And twenty were injured, Moscow confirmed.
A pro-Russian French association, SOS Donbass, then released a list of thirteen names on Monday. “The French Mercenary” Present in Kharkiv at the time of the strike. Another list of thirty names is circulating on Telegram.
As soon as the Russian military made the announcement, the French Foreign Ministry denied and condemned it “A New Crude Russian Manipulation”Sure France hasn’t “Mercenaries”, neither in Ukraine nor anywhere else”.
In turn, on Friday, the French ambassador to Moscow was summoned to reprimand the Russian Foreign Ministry. “Paris’ Growing Involvement in the Conflict in Ukraine”..
of these allegations “mercenaryism” France has been targeted as Paris has stepped up its promises to deliver arms to Ukraine in recent weeks and as it prepares to conclude a security deal with Kiev.
According to a French diplomatic source, some of the identities put forward on these lists are also false. And doubt rests on the fact that French people died in this Russian strike.
From the first month, the conflict in Ukraine attracted foreign volunteers who went to fight alongside the Kiev troops. At the end of December 2023, a security source estimates “A few dozen, less than 50” The number of French fighters in Ukraine, “All extreme right or ultra-right”.
