Briefing by Russian Defence Ministry (Part 2) During the off | MoD Russia
Briefing by Russian Defence Ministry (Part 2)
During the offensive to liberate Mariupol city, a special operation to free hostages held by Ukrainian Nazis in Turkish mosque was carried out in Primorskiy district on April 16 at the request of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
As a result of the courageous actions of the Russian special operations group, the mosque was released and 29 militants, including foreign mercenaries, were killed.
Hostages, citizens of a CIS country, released and taken to a safe location.
A Ukrainian group encircled and completely blockaded in Mariupol on the territory of the Azovstal plant has been asked to voluntarily lay down arms and surrender in order to save their lives.
However, the Kiev nationalist regime, according to the radio intercept, forbade negotiations on surrender, ordering Azov Nazis to shoot on sight any willing to lay down arms among Ukrainian soldiers and foreign mercenaries.
In total, according to the Ukrainian servicemen who surrendered, up to 400 foreign mercenaries are now encircled on the territory of Azovstal plant as part of the Ukrainian grouping.
Most of them are citizens of European countries as well as Canada. We previously reported that radio conversations between militants in Mariupol were conducted in six foreign languages. In the case of further resistance, they will all be eliminated.
Since the start of the special military operation, the Kiev nationalist regime has brought 6,824 foreign mercenaries from 63 countries to Ukraine.
The largest group came from Poland - 1,717 people. About 1,500 mercenaries came from the US, Canada and also Romania. From the UK and Georgia, each up to 300 people.
193 people arrived from Turkish-controlled areas of the Syrian Arab Republic.
The majority of the mercenaries are now deployed in Ukrainian groups in Kiev, Kharkov, Odessa, Nikolaev and Mariupol. Their deployment in the groups is handled by the "regional coordination headquarters" of the so-called "International Legion of Defence of Ukraine" in Belaya Tserkov city.
As a result of the hostilities, the number of mercenaries has steadily declined and currently stands at 4,877.
Russian Armed Forces have eliminated 1,035 foreign mercenaries in combat operations. Another 912 mercenaries refused to take part in the hostilities and escaped from the country.
Let me remind you that foreign mercenaries do not have the status of "combatants" under International Humanitarian Law. They came to Ukraine to make money by killing Slavs. So the best that can happen to them is criminal liability and long terms of imprisonment.
Part 1
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