The UK Ministry of Defence believes that experienced mercenaries from Russian Private Military Companies (PMCs) are being deployed to fight in Ukraine. In the latest Defence Intelligence update, posted on the Ministry of Defence Twitter account @Defence HQ late on Wednesday night, it was also stated that, "the Russian state almost certainly maintains extensive links with Russian PMCs, despite repeated denials".
Russian PMCs have been accused of committing human rights abuses in several countries such as Syria, Libya and the Central Africa Republic, whilst operating on behalf of the Russian state. The UK Government, meanwhile, continues to provide a range of economic, humanitarian and defensive military assistance to Ukraine, and is imposing additional sanctions on Russia and Belarus.
They include:
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providing additional humanitarian aid for vital medical supplies and other help, including supporting non-governmental organisation responders by match funding £25 million of public donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine humanitarian appeal
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providing defensive military aid to Ukraine and continuing to work with international partners to supply vital weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces
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changing the immigration system to support British nationals and their families who usually live in Ukraine, and Ukrainians in the UK and their families. A new sponsorship scheme for Ukrainians without any family ties to the UK will also be offered
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coordinating with partners on sanctions aimed at starving the Russian government of funds to further its unprovoked war against Ukraine, imposing wide-ranging sanctions on Russian businesses, banks and individuals, including a joint decision by all G7 countries to remove Russian banks from the SWIFT system, in addition to existing UK sanctions
