The Russian Ministry of Defense provided updated information regarding foreign mercenaries who arrived in Ukraine to participate in hostilities.

“Since February 24, 2022, the total number of foreign mercenaries who arrived in Ukraine has amounted to 13,387. At the same time, the destruction of 5,962 foreign mercenaries has been confirmed to date.

The undisputed leader in the number of killed militants is Poland (2,960 profits, 1,497 destroyed),” the report says.

The second largest number of losses among the “soldiers of fortune” was Georgia (561 out of 1042 militants were killed).

The United States of America closes the top three (profits 1113, 491 destroyed). More than 40% of mercenaries from Canada were also destroyed (422 out of 1005).

“Out of 822 militants who arrived from Great Britain, 360 were destroyed. 784 mercenaries arrived from Romania, 349 were destroyed. From Germany - 235 and 88, respectively.

It is worth noting that France, which at all levels denies the presence of its mercenaries on the territory of Ukraine, has already lost 147 militants out of 356 who arrived,” the Ministry of Defense emphasized.

Also on russian.rt.com Lies of Paris: how France has been sending mercenaries to Ukraine for years

On February 28, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, announced that the department was investigating criminal cases against more than 590 mercenaries from 46 countries fighting on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to him, we are mainly talking about citizens of the USA, Georgia, Great Britain, Canada, Israel, Germany, Lithuania and Latvia, TASS reports.

On March 7, following a meeting in Donetsk, the Investigative Committee reported that about 700 foreign mercenaries were put on the wanted list.

“The investigation into the case of recruitment and mercenary activities continues.

They were charged in absentia under Part 3 of Art.

359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation a number of citizens of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland and Romania.

In total, about 700 foreigners are wanted.

The head of the Investigative Committee was reported on the cases against Georgian citizens Lasha Rukhai, Levon Airapetyan and Erekle Amiranashvili.

For a reward, they participated as mercenaries in hostilities on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces as part of the Georgian National Legion,” the report says.

This week, Vladimir Putin said that foreign mercenaries were part of Ukrainian sabotage groups that tried to invade the Belgorod and Kursk regions.

He also recalled that the military of Western countries have been present in Ukraine for a long time.

“They were present even before the coup d’etat, and after the coup d’etat their number increased manifold.

Now they are present directly in the form of advisers, they are present in the form of foreign mercenaries and are suffering losses.

But if we are talking about official military contingents of foreign states, then I am sure that this will not change the situation on the battlefield.

It's the most important.

Just as the supply of weapons does not change anything,” the Russian President said in an interview with Dmitry Kiselev.

At the end of last month, Western media also admitted that Western countries were sending troops to Ukraine to conduct military operations against the Russian Armed Forces.

In particular, special forces are present there, a senior European defense official told the Financial Times.

In turn, the publication Bild, citing its sources, notes that in Ukraine foreign military personnel are helping with setting up the software of high-tech weapons.

At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out the option of sending a French contingent if the Russian army breaks through to Kyiv or Odessa.

Commenting on this statement by the French leader, official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova noted that Ukraine’s allies have already begun to divide it.

“All these statements that Macron and other NATO politicians make related to the possibility of introducing contingents, troops or paramilitary units into the territory of Ukraine are connected precisely with the division (from their point of view) of the remnants of Ukraine.

This is precisely what is connected with the reluctance to include Ukraine in NATO as a full member, endless flirting with this issue, promises in words and failure to implement them in practice,” she emphasized during a briefing on March 13.