american newspaper The New York Times released detailed material about mercenaries in Ukraine – the Foreign Legion under the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The material of the publication claims that some foreign soldiers came to the legion without military experience, and someone just wanted to “cash in the war.”
The New York Times cites stories of foreign soldiers who came to fight on the side of Ukraine. To prepare the story, the newspaper analyzed more than 100 pages of documents from volunteer groups and interviewed more than 30 volunteers, fighters, fundraisers, donors, and US and Ukrainian officials.
According to the newspaper, one of the soldiers from the foreign legion – James Vasquez – lied about his military experience. He posted online videos from the battlefields, at least once indicated the exact location of his unit.
The publication cites the story of Matthew Nance, who demanded the dismissal of two employees, without evidence accusing one of them of having links with Russia. Another soldier, according to the newspaper, wanted to smuggle militants from Pakistan and Iran on fake passports to fight for Ukraine. Whether he succeeded in doing so is not known.
Former Army Private First Class John McIntyre was expelled from the Foreign Legion for defecting to Russia and recently appearing on Russian state television. The report said that he represented the interests of Russia’s military intelligence.
The publication notes that foreign military personnel are operating on the Ukrainian front, who would not be allowed to approach the battlefield in a US-led war, given unlimited access to weapons and military equipment. In addition, according to the publication, the International Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine consists of about 1.5 thousand people instead of the declared 20 thousand.
About what happens after the entry of Russian troops into Ukraine – in the online broadcast “Kommersant”.