Russia has claimed that the United Kingdom has lost another 23 volunteer fighters in Ukraine, while Canada has, still according to the Russian authorities, allegedly lost 15.
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed in a briefing given by its chief spokesman, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, 56, and obtained on Tuesday, July 12 that it “monitors and records by name all foreign mercenaries who have arrived in Ukraine to take part in combat operations.”
The Russian MoD also claimed: “As we have already mentioned, contrary to the false claims of the Kiev regime about allegedly 20,000 foreign mercenaries arriving to Ukraine, their actual number is much lower. Moreover, it is steadily declining.
“Over the past three weeks, the number of mercenaries in Ukraine has decreased from 3,221 to 2,741 as a result of the offensive actions of the units of the Russian Armed Forces and people’s militia of Lugansk and Donetsk republics.
“During this time, despite the arrival of another 151 mercenaries, 391 militants have been killed. Another 240 “wild geese” rushed to flee outside Ukraine.
“Poland again tops the list in terms of the speed and number of fighters killed during the period, with 166 Polish fighters killed. Among the Georgian representatives, 50 “soldiers of fortune” were killed, U.K. lost another 23 mercenaries in Ukraine. Also, 21 Romanian and 15 Canadian fighters were killed in three weeks.
“Updated data on the count of foreign mercenaries currently in Ukraine has been published on the Russian Defense Ministry’s information resources on the Internet.
“Once again, the Russian Armed Forces are identifying foreign mercenaries even as they prepare to enter Ukraine.
“I will give one example.
“On July 6, two British citizens, Colin Scott and Adrian Davis, and three U.S. citizens, Michael Vujkovic, Andrew Fox and Oliver Short, arrived at the foreign mercenary collection and accommodation center located at 1 Kozmian street in Poland’s Zamość city. We advise these citizens to come to their senses and return home alive.
“Let me remind you that under International Humanitarian Law, all foreign mercenaries are non-combatants and the best that awaits them if captured alive is a trial and maximum terms of imprisonment.”
Zenger News has not been able to independently verify the Russian MoD’s claims.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation.” July 13 marks the 140th day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and July 13, Russia had lost about 37,570 personnel, 1,649 tanks, 3,832 armored combat vehicles, 839 artillery units, 247 multiple launch rocket systems, 109 air defense systems, 217 warplanes, 188 helicopters, 678 drones, 155 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 2,704 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 67 units of special equipment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russia “doesn’t have the courage” to admit defeat. He has also mocked Russia for apparently relying on aging weaponry. He also said that the outcome of the war was certain, thanks to the unity of his people and the strength of Ukraine’s military forces.
Grain shipments via the River Danube have increased, with a canal being reopened. An increased number of foreign ships are now able to reach Ukrainian ports to help export grain. Deputy Infrastructure Minister Yuriy Vaskov has said that the number of foreign ships has doubled. Ukraine has also reopened a decommissioned port.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has hinted at plans to put together a “million-strong army” equipped with NATO weaponry to fight Russian troops, but the comments have been viewed more as a rallying cry than a concrete plan.
Reznikov has said that Western weaponry needs to be delivered to Ukraine faster. He said that for every day that they have to wait for howitzers to arrive, they can lose up to 100 soldiers.
The U.S. treasury announced on Tuesday, July 12, that it was sending an additional $1.7 billion in economic aid to Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Iran next week to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The meeting comes as the U.S. accuses Iran of preparing to provide Russia with hundreds of military drones for use in Ukraine.
Germany and the Czech Republic have signed a joint declaration, vowing to overcome their dependency on Russian fossil fuels and to speed up the transition to low-carbon energy.
President Putin has signed a decree that makes it easier for Ukrainian citizens to acquire Russian citizenship.
