France has denied Russia’s claim that French mercenaries have been operating in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv after Russia’s Ministry of Defence asserted that its troops had killed “foreign fighters” earlier this week, reported several news outlets.
“France has no ‘mercenaries’ either in Ukraine or anywhere else, unlike some people,” a French foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP, calling the claim “another clumsy Russian manipulation.”
On Wednesday, Russia claimed responsibility for a strike on a building in Kharkiv where foreign fighters were reportedly stationed. The Russian defense ministry asserted that the fighters were mostly French mercenaries and that the building had been destroyed with more than 60 people killed.
“While the Russian MoD (The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation) is claiming it killed ‘French mercenaries,’ they actually hit residential, energy facilities and medical facilities,” All Eyes on Wagner NGO tweeted on X, formerly Twitter.
While the Russian MoD is claiming it killed “French mercenaries” they actually hit residential, energy facilities and medical facilities. This statement widely amplified by media with little checks takes place while France’s announcement to deliver more SCALP missile [#infowar].… https://t.co/lLCIcSqaiq
— alleyesonwagner (@alleyesonwagner) January 17, 2024
Russia’s accusations came after French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that France would deliver an additional 40 long-range Scalp missiles to Kiev and sign a security agreement with Ukraine.
Ukraine’s allies launched an artillery coalition in Paris on Thursday to address the urgent need for weapons in Kiev.
Lying close to the Russian border, Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv has been continuously shelled since Russia began extensive hostilities in February 2022.