A Ukrainian soldier who was captured in Kursk Region amid Kiev’s ongoing cross-border offensive has claimed that foreign mercenaries are fighting for Ukraine on Russian soil.
Footage of an interview with the detainee was released by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on Monday. The agency claimed that the man shown in the footage was captured with the help of local residents in Kursk Region. The Ukrainian identified himself as a 26-year-old member of his country's 80th Air Assault Brigade, which is taking part in the offensive.
Ruslan Poltoratsky, as he introduced himself, said he first heard foreign radio chatter when crossing the Russian border and initially thought it was some kind of interference.
“They spoke in English, Polish, maybe French. I did not understand them, called on the radio to repeat, and only heard gibberish in response,” he said.
He later concluded that the communications were local, since Ukrainian military officials were responding.
“There was something about houses and gunshots in the background,” he claimed.
Poltoratsky also mentioned that a brigade “made up of those who used to be in jail” was taking part in the Kursk Region offensive. He was apparently referring to a unit composed of convicts who volunteered in exchange for early release from prison.
Ukraine has been using foreign fighters to bolster its military since the early days of the conflict with Russia, creating an ‘International Legion’ for volunteers. Moscow has described them as mercenaries and has accused Western nations of facilitating the recruitment of their citizens with combat experience.
The practice of embedding foreign fighters into the Ukrainian military predates the ongoing hostilities, as evidenced by a group known as the Georgian Legion. It features Georgian citizens in its ranks and was created in 2014. The unit is also in Kursk Region, according to a source cited last week by military news outlet The War Zone.
The legion is known for videos in which members are shown torturing and executing Russian prisoners in March 2022. Russia considers the Georgian Legion a terrorist organization and a tool of Ukrainian military intelligence.