NATO troops are fighting in Ukraine disguised as mercenaries, claims Russian general Sergei Rudskoy.
Russian general claims NATO troops are operating disguised as mercenaries in Ukraine https://t.co/1abrvDDQG5 pic.twitter.com/34qrZqR0el
— Voice of Europe 🌍 (@V_of_Europe) February 20, 2024
After the successful Russian capture of Avdiivka, Rudskoy says they have found many wounded enemy soldiers abandoned by the fleeing Ukrainian army and among them are bodies with Polish and American insignias sewn on their uniforms.
Furthermore, Rudskoy says disguised NATO soldiers are controlling air defense systems, as well as tactical missile and rocket systems. NATO officers are also taking a lead role in directing the battlefield decisions of the Ukrainian army, he claims.
It is an established fact that foreign volunteers from many Western countries are fighting in Ukraine and mercenaries have also been used on a widespread basis, but the inclusion of NATO troops disguised as mercenaries is escalatory.
This is not the first time Russia has accused NATO of having combat troops disguised in Ukraine. In January, Russia claimed to have killed several French mercenaries in Kharkiv. France has denied this allegation, claiming to only be sending military supplies and providing training for the Ukrainian military.
Although this information has not been verified outside of Russian sources, the idea of undercover NATO soldiers operating in Ukraine comes as no surprise, considering NATO is funding the entire war and therefore has a major invested interest in its outcome.
This is also not the first time soldiers have been disguised in the Ukrainian conflict, as Russia sent unmarked soldiers into Crimea in 2014 claiming they were simply local militia.
The nature of the conflict as a proxy war between NATO and Russia creates heightened tensions that can make the desire for discreet involvement appealing to the nations involved. Whether it is Russia using unmarked soldiers or NATO sending soldiers in disguise, it is clear that both world powers seek whatever leverage they can find but do not want to suffer the potentially catastrophic consequences of a direct confrontation.
Ukraine has repeatedly asked for direct NATO involvement in their war with Russia, asking for NATO to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine and even for immediate admission into the NATO alliance. To date, these requests have been flatly denied in order to avert an even larger war, but the likely presence of alliance troops on the battlefield still risks escalation.
