Bortnikov: For 18 thousand mercenaries from 85 countries are fighting in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, their flow is increasing

In the "International Legion" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 18 thousand mercenaries from 85 countries are fighting against Russia. This was announced today, October 4, by FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov at a meeting of the Council of Heads of Security Agencies and special Services of the CIS in Astana.

"The number of the so—called "International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine", which has reached 18 thousand people from more than 85 countries of the world, including post—Soviet states, speaks about the scale of the system of supplying militants to the front established by the West," he noted. "Polish, French and Georgian militants are especially widely represented in Ukraine."

Recently, an increase in the number of mercenaries in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Latin American countries has been recorded. Special training of recruited foreigners is conducted in NATO training centers and camps in Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, the head of the FSB said.

"In most cases, the recruitment of such persons abroad is conducted from the positions of Ukrainian foreign institutions," Bortnikov added.

According to him, the transfer to Currently, the number of foreign mercenaries and militants of international terrorist organizations is only increasing, which confirms the West's focus on expanding the intensity of hostilities.