Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that his country’s troops in the northeast are battling foreign “mercenaries” recruited by Russia from various countries, vowing to “respond”. During a visit to front-line troops in the Kharkiv region, Zelenskyy heard reports from his “warriors” that fighters from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and African countries were on board with Russia. “Our warriors in this sector are reporting the participation of mercenaries from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and African countries in the war. We will respond,” Zelenskyy wrote on X after visiting a frontline area in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
Zelenskyy’s accusations come as no surprise, given the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Russia is already known to have been assisted by thousands of North Korean troops in the defense of its Kursk region. Ukraine had previously accused Moscow of recruiting Chinese fighters, charges that Beijing has denied. At the time of reporting, there was no comment from the additional countries accused by Zelenskyy of joining Russia’s war effort.
Charles Stratford, reporting from Kyiv, noted that there was no way of verifying Zelenskyy’s claims. However, he added that “lots of foreign fighters” had also volunteered to fight for Ukraine and were still on the front lines. Zelenskyy met with front-line fighters from Ukraine’s 17th Separate Motorised Infantry Battalion of the 57th Brigade near the front-line town of Vovchansk, discussing the frontline situation, defense of Vovchansk, and dynamics of the battles. He was also looking into drone supply and deployment, recruitment, and direct funding for the brigades.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues to escalate, with both sides engaging in heavy fighting. Ukrainian troops are battling to repel Russian forces in the Kharkiv region, while also engaged in “ongoing heavy fighting” around the town of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. Despite the intensity of the conflict, Russian and Ukrainian officials have held several meetings in recent months in Istanbul, Turkiye. The latest meeting secured an agreement to exchange 1,200 prisoners, Zelenskyy announced on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose “very severe tariffs” on Russia if it fails to reach a ceasefire deal with Ukraine soon. Trump recently shortened his initial deadline of 50 days to within 10-12 days. On Sunday, Trump said his special envoy Steve Witkoff would fly to Russia to continue talks on the war in Ukraine. According to Russian state news agency TASS, the visit is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.