Russia vows no mercy for foreign mercenaries in Ukraine
Two British mercenaries at the railway station in the city of Lviv, Ukraine on March 5. PHOTO: REUTERS
The Russian Ministry of Defence made it clear on Tuesday that the Western governments urging their citizens to 'enlist' in Ukraine will be the ones responsible for their deaths, as Moscow vowed to target mercenaries and show no mercy to them.
“All locations of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine are known to us,” military spokesperson Major-General Igor Konashenkov stated on Monday. “I want to warn you again – there will be no mercy for the mercenaries, no matter where they are on the territory of Ukraine,” RT reported.
The spokesperson noted some Western governments had encouraged to take participate in the fight against Russian troops, saying “all further responsibility for the death of this category of foreign citizens in Ukraine rests solely with the leadership of these countries.”
Konashenkov further stated, “Targeted strikes will continue,” and referred to the cruise missile attack on the military bases located in Yavorov and the nearby Starichi in the west of Ukraine on Sunday.
Moscow had claimed the attack destroyed the facilities in use by the “International Legion of Ukraine” and managed to kill “up to 180 foreign fighters”.
Also read: Russia-Ukraine conflict: story of mistrust
Kiev had confirmed the deaths of 35 and injuries to 130 others in the attack on the base used by Nato personnel for years to train Ukrainian troops.
While Ukraine had insisted that no foreign troops were killed in the strike, several British news reports had confirmed deaths of three former UK operatives of the special forces besides “many more killed within the site than has been claimed.”
Though London hasn't officially confirmed any of the said deaths. Meanwhile, the US had insisted that none of its "troops, contractors or civilian government workers” were present at the attack site.
On February 24, Russia launched an all-out 'invasion' of Ukraine by land, air and sea, the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two and confirmation of the worst fears of the West.
Russian missiles rained down on Ukrainian cities. Ukraine reported columns of troops pouring across its borders into the eastern Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions, and landing by sea at the cities of Odessa and Mariupol in the south.