Data published by the Russian Ministry of Defense show that since the beginning of the special military operation, at least 1350,000 foreign mercenaries poured into the Ukrainian battlefield, including soldiers from Western countries such as Poland, the United States, the United Kingdom and France. The Russian Ministry of Defense noted that these mercenaries work for the Kyiv regime and perform tasks on the battlefield in Ukraine. However, these foreign mercenaries often face the problem of insufficient supplies and lack of human rights protections. The Russian army sees them as a priority for elimination and carries out precision strikes against them with drones and precision guidance**.
The Polish army, one of the most involved, joined the Ukrainian army in full formation and was found carrying documents with the number of the unit. British and American soldiers are also involved in the conflict in Ukraine, but in relatively small numbers. The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that French mercenaries are more numerous in the Ukrainian army, accounting for more than 1,900 people. However, France** denied officially sending troops to Ukraine and said that they do not consider themselves a party to the conflict.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense on January 18, the Russian armed forces launched a special operation in Kharkiv Oblast, carrying out precision strikes on a large number of French mercenaries. Of these, more than 60 militants were eliminated and more than 20 were taken to medical institutions for treatment. The Russian side claims that there are about 60 to 70 French mercenaries in the Ukrainian army, and between 200 and 300 have dual French and Ukrainian citizenship. For the Russians, the French mercenaries are actually fighting the Russian army, which is one of the reasons why they are fighting back against the French.
However, France** denied this, saying that it had never sent troops to the conflict in Ukraine and therefore did not consider itself one of the parties to the conflict. But Russia is convinced that France is deeply involved in the conflict in Ukraine. Due to the lack of further evidence and denials by France**, no final conclusion can be reached on this controversy at this time.
Sources have long noted that mercenaries are getting rather limited rewards on the battlefield in Ukraine. They often lack high remuneration and suitable equipment, and are often punished by the Ukrainian military and assigned to dangerous missions. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, these mercenaries do not enjoy the protection of international law and are therefore a priority target for the Russian army.
An American mercenary named Matthew Van Dyck shared his experiences during the Russia-Ukraine conflict on social media. He described that Russian artillery is abundant and powerful. When he first went to battle, the Russian army delivered a covering strike on his position every 10 seconds, preventing the soldiers of his company from leaving the fortifications safely. In addition, the Russian army has carried out sustained air strikes in an attempt to destroy the position where he is located.
Due to the siege, some soldiers tried to take shelter in the forest, however, Russian drones quickly detected their location and threw grenades at them. Faced with this new type of attack, individual soldiers have little ability to fight back, and they can only do their best to escape the pursuit before the grenade is thrown to the ground.
This description vividly shows the cruelty and fierceness of the battlefield in Ukraine, and also hints at the obvious superiority of the Russian army in terms of equipment and military technology.
Judging by the current situation, the Ukrainian army is in a passive state on the battlefield and it is difficult to regain dominance. The number of foreign mercenaries on the battlefield in Ukraine has decreased dramatically, because they are not rewarded with even basic ** equipment. The Russian army carried out targeted strikes against them, maintaining control of the battlefield through firepower superiority and advanced **.
In the face of the strength of the Russian army, achieving superiority on the battlefield requires sufficient firepower and combat personnel. The Russian Ministry of Defense said that its artillery shell production capacity has increased significantly and is accelerating the production of key such as tanks, ** and missiles**. This further exacerbates the difficulties for the Ukrainian army to regain dominance on the battlefield.
In general, the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield is quite intense, and the participation of foreign mercenaries in the Ukrainian army is gradually decreasing. The Russian army clearly has the advantage, has sufficient firepower and advanced **, and carries out targeted strikes against mercenaries. In such a situation, it will be very difficult for the Ukrainian army to regain control of the battlefield.