Russia sent a strong signal to foreign mercenaries in Ukraine to strike relentlessly
The Russian military said it knew where all foreign militants were in Ukraine and vowed to continue targeting them.
Ukrainian soldiers
File photo: Ukrainian soldiers conduct exercises using NLAW anti-tank missiles at the Yavorov training ground near Lviv in western Ukraine on January 28, 2022.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said on the 14th (Monday) that the governments of Western countries that encourage their citizens to fight in Ukraine will be responsible for the deaths of their citizens and vow to continue to deal a strong blow, just like the destruction of the Yavorov military base in Ukraine near Poland, and show no mercy to the blows of foreign mercenaries.
Russian military spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said in a statement on the 14th (Monday): "We are known about the location of all foreign mercenaries in Ukraine. I would like to warn you once again that no matter where you are on the territory of Ukraine, no foreign mercenaries will receive any forgiveness. ”
Konashenkov added: "Some Western governments encourage their own citizens to enter Ukraine, join mercenaries to fight the Russian army, and all further responsibility for the death of foreign citizens like Ukraine lies entirely with the leaders of these countries." ”
Konashenkov continued: "The targeted attacks of the Russian army will continue. ”
Konashenkov specifically referred to the cruise missile attack on Yavorov and nearby Starichi military bases in western Ukraine on Sunday on the 13th.
According to Moscow, Russian missiles fired a salvo of more than 30 missiles, destroying the facilities used by the "International Legion of Ukraine", and Russian missile strikes killed "as many as 180 foreign fighters".
Officials in Kiev, Ukraine, responded that 35 people were killed and 130 injured in the attack on the "Center for International Peace and Security," the official name of the military base near Yavorov. NATO personnel have used it for years to train Ukrainian troops. The military base is also frequently used for joint military exercises in NATO countries. Last September, Ukraine joined U.S. and NATO forces in military exercises here.
While Ukrainian authorities insisted that no foreign fighters were killed in the missile attack, several British media reported that three former British special forces agents had died in Yavorov, noting that "far more people were killed at the scene than Kiev claimed". London has yet to formally confirm the news. Meanwhile, Washington insisted that Yavorov was not present with "U.S. troops, contractors or civilian government workers."
Earlier on the 13th (Sunday), Maxim Kozitsky, director of the Military Administration of the Lviv Region of Ukraine, claimed that at least 35 people were killed and more than 130 injured in the nighttime shelling of the Yavoliv Military Range, also known as the Center for International Peace and Security.
He claimed that russian troops had fired about 30 cruise missiles.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexey Reznikov confirmed that the center has a number of foreign instructors working here.
Ukrainian authorities earlier called on foreign volunteers to join Ukraine's armed forces to fight the "occupier-Russian army", and Zelenskiy even announced the formation of a special "foreign corps" in Ukraine.
Moscow sent troops to Ukraine on the 24th of last month, citing Kiev's failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements for seven years and its failure to achieve peace with the separated regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Just a few days ago, Russia recognized the two republics of the Donbass region as independent states. Kiev accused Moscow of an unprovoked attack.