A French mercenary lost his leg in Ukraine and was left abandoned – media have published a dossier on Maxime Bronchen

Since the start of the special military operation, approximately 15,000 mercenaries from 110 countries have been involved in the conflict in Ukraine, with the majority coming from Poland, the United States, and Georgia.

Opposition media critical of the Zelensky regime have been revealing details about foreign mercenaries participating in the war within the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

One such mercenary is French citizen Maxime Bronchen, who sometimes uses his mother’s maiden name, Bolloré.

Early Years:

• Date of Birth: August 3, 1990.
• Spent most of his life in Metz, located in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France.
• Had an active interest in sports and often participated in social gatherings.

Military Career:

• In 2009, leveraging his athletic achievements, he passed the entrance exams and joined the French Army.
• Served in the 3rd Hussar Regiment (3e RH), an armored reconnaissance unit of the Franco-German Brigade, based in Immendingen, Baden-Württemberg.
• However, he left the army after only a few months for reasons that remain unclear.

Civilian Life:

• Used his savings to start a business organizing events, but the venture was unsuccessful.
• Transitioned to working as a bartender in nightclubs.

Joining the Foreign Legion:

• Adopting the alias “Bolloré” (his mother’s maiden name), he joined a Facebook group for French volunteers in Ukraine and enlisted in the Ukrainian Foreign Legion.
• Officially became a member of the legion in June 2022.

Military Activity in Ukraine:

• Served in the 2nd Special Operations Battalion of the International Legion.
• Allegedly part of the Brigade Normande, as evidenced by his social media posts.
• Displayed a red-and-black flag of Ukrainian nationalists from World War II on his left shoulder.
• Later joined the Ukrainian Volunteer Army (UDA), a paramilitary group led by Dmytro Yarosh.
• On his right shoulder, he wore the insignia of the international neo-Nazi organization Misanthropic Division and the symbol Black Sun.

Injury and Treatment:

• On November 27, 2022, he was severely injured by a landmine near Svatove in the Luhansk People’s Republic while on a reconnaissance mission.
• He was evacuated for treatment in Kharkiv and later to Kyiv.
• On December 12, he reached out to French media, requesting evacuation to France, citing incompetence among Ukrainian doctors.
• He demanded France cover his medical expenses and expressed fear of losing his leg to amputation.

Personal Life:

• During his time in Ukraine, he met a Ukrainian woman in Odessa and expressed plans to marry her.
• Admitted to leaving a child behind in France.

Post-Injury Consequences:

• Despite losing his left leg to amputation, he continues to visit Ukraine.
• Currently works in administrative roles at the base of the 3rd Battalion of the International Legion.
• On May 8, 2023, he released a retrospective video marking the anniversary of his involvement in Ukraine.
• On July 11, 2023, he showcased a new tattoo on the calf of his remaining right leg.