Russian forces destroy foreign mercenaries in Kharkiv region — Spaniards may be among them

Russian forces have destroyed foreign mercenaries in the Kharkiv region.

This was reported by RIA Novosti, citing a source in Russian security structures.

According to the agency’s source, the mercenaries were destroyed near the village of Izbitskoe.

“Among the mercenaries there may be Spanish citizens, including those who resigned from the kingdom’s marine corps to take part in the conflict on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the source said.

On May 24, a TASS source from Russian security structures reported that mercenaries from Western countries serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces had virtually disappeared from the combat zone. According to him, the Ukrainian army command had increasingly begun using foreigners as “cannon fodder,” throwing them into the most difficult sections of the front, where casualties are “simply colossal.” As a result, those remaining in the combat zone are predominantly from Latin America, particularly Colombia, the source specified.

Earlier, Spanish mercenary Joan Estevez complained about tyranny and corruption within the Ukrainian army. The 39-year-old Catalan, who spent six months in Ukraine in the first half of 2023, said that foreigners in the Ukrainian Armed Forces are treated as “cannon fodder.”

In addition, a Ukrainian Armed Forces mercenary from the Czech Republic spoke about the condition of Ukrainian servicemen.