British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on a surprise visit, the second since the beginning of the Russian war on Ukraine, to renew his support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while Russia said it had killed 2,000 "mercenaries" out of 7,000 fighting on the side of Ukraine.

Johnson - who has often expressed strong support for Zelensky - posted a picture of him with the Ukrainian president, accompanied by the words, "Mr. President Volodymyr, it's good to be in Kyiv again."

Mr President, Volodymyr,

It is good to be in Kyiv again.

pic.twitter.com/wbpMof6YqY

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) June 17, 2022

The meeting was kept secret for security reasons, and is Johnson's latest show of support for Zelensky since Russia launched the war on Ukraine on February 24.

The visit comes after the European Union agreed to grant Ukraine and Moldova the status of a candidate for membership, a milestone on their potential path to transforming from former Soviet republics into advanced economies in the world's largest trading bloc.

If the European Commission's proposal is approved as expected during a summit of EU leaders next week, it would be a major morale boost for Kiev, and further Western challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin after his war on Ukraine.

The Ukrainian President welcomed the European Commission's decision to recommend his country's candidacy for membership in the European Union, and considered - in a tweet - that the decision was the first step towards his country's membership in the Union, and that this would bring what he described as his country's victory in the war.

Zelensky's office chief said his government will implement all the required reforms and will do everything in its power to make Ukraine a member of the European Union.

The European Union has agreed to grant Ukraine and Moldova membership candidate status (Anatolia)

While some EU countries - including the Netherlands and Denmark - do not support the candidacy of more countries for membership, Zelensky received the support of France, Germany, Italy and Romania on Thursday.

In turn, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia does not oppose Ukraine's accession to the European Union, considering that the Union "is not a military alliance."

He also said that his country is ready to restore its relationship with everyone after the military intervention in Ukraine, considering that the Russian measures in Donbass are completely legitimate, "in contrast to the American actions in Libya or Iraq," as he put it.

training program

According to a statement issued by Johnson's office, the British Prime Minister offered, during his meeting with Zelensky, "the launch of a large training program for Ukrainian forces, which could include training up to 10,000 soldiers every 120 days."

Johnson said - according to what was stated in this statement - "My visit today, at the height of the war, aims to send a clear and simple message to the Ukrainians: Britain is on your side and will be with you until victory."

"That is why I proposed to President Zelensky a large-scale program of military training, which can change the equation of this war by directing the strongest forces, that is, the determination of the Ukrainians to victory," he added.

Johnson visited Kyiv on April 9, when he was the first official from a G7 country to visit Ukraine.

London has provided strong military support to Kiev ever since.

Johnson proposed to Zelensky a large-scale program of military training "that could change the equation of this war" (Reuters)

Zelensky and new sanctions against Russia

For his part, Zelensky expressed his happiness to meet Johnson for the second time in Kyiv. "The many days of the war have proven that Britain's support for Ukraine is strong and resolute," he said. "We have a common vision of how Ukraine can achieve victory."

He said that his country needs aid to defend itself, as well as economic aid, adding, "We will work together with our partners to rebuild Ukraine."

The head of Zelensky's office said that the two sides discussed the need to supply heavy weapons, air defense systems, economic support, the imposition of additional sanctions on Russia and the need for it to be held accountable.

Russia: 7,000 "mercenaries" in Ukraine

On the field level, the Russian army announced Friday that about 7,000 "foreign mercenaries" from 64 countries have arrived in Ukraine since the conflict began, and that 2,000 of them have been killed.

Since Moscow's intervention in Ukraine began on February 24, thousands of foreign volunteers - mostly Europeans - have traveled to the country to assist the forces in Kyiv, and Russia calls these fighters "mercenaries" to suggest that money is their motive.

"Our list on June 17 includes mercenaries and weapons experts from 64 countries. Since the start of the special military operation, 6,956 have arrived in Ukraine, 1956 of them have been eliminated, and 1,779" others have left," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The Russian ministry added that Poland is the "leader" among European countries in securing the fighters' access to Ukraine, followed by Romania and Britain.

The statement was attached to a table of the numbers of foreign fighters who came to Ukraine by nationality, and the recorded losses, according to the Russian army.

The countries that suffered the largest losses - according to Moscow - are: Poland (378 dead), the United States (214), Canada (162) and Georgia (120).

And pro-Russian separatists sentenced to death 3 of them, two Britons and a Moroccan.


Russian losses

For its part, the Ukrainian authorities said - today, Friday - that its missiles hit a tugboat for the Russian Navy, which was transporting soldiers and weapons to Snake Island in the Black Sea, while Britain said that 15,000 millionaires were trying to leave Russia.

Maxim Marchenko, governor of the Odessa region (southwest of Ukraine), stated that Ukrainian missiles hit the boat "Vassily Bekh", which was transporting soldiers and weapons to the Ukrainian Snake Island (Zmini), which Russia has occupied (140 km south of Odessa) since the beginning of the war between Moscow and Kiev. .

The Ukrainian Naval Command said that two "Harpoon" missiles hit a Russian warship, and added that the boat was carrying a "TOR" anti-aircraft air defense system.

The Harpoon missile is one of the weapons that Western countries have supplied to Kyiv in the past few weeks, to counter the ongoing Russian attack since the end of last February.

The Russian tugboat "Vassily Bekh" was targeted by the Ukrainian Navy (Reuters-Archive)

Also in southern Ukraine, Vitaly Kim, the governor of the Mykolaiv region, said that at least two people were killed and 20 others wounded in Russian shelling on residential neighborhoods south of the city of Mykolaiv, 100 km northwest of the Russian-occupied city of Kherson.

Donbass battles

In eastern Ukraine, Sergei Gaidi, governor of the Lugansk region, told CNN that evacuating the Azot plant in the city of Severodonetsk is impossible;

Because of the continuous Russian artillery bombardment on the industrial area.

Ghaidi added that if anyone leaves the factory, the risk of being killed will be very high, pointing out that there are more than 560 civilians inside the factory, 38 of whom are children.

For weeks, Russian and separatist forces in the Donbass region - which includes the regions of Lugansk and Donetsk - have focused their efforts on completing control over all parts of Donbass, in which the separatists declared two independent republics from Ukraine years ago, which were recognized by Moscow days before it launched the war in late February Past.