"Russia Deploys Mercenaries in Eastern Ukraine"...Russian Government Denies

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Foreign media reported that Russia has dispatched and deployed mercenaries to the rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine. While diplomatic solutions are being sought with the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), military tensions at the border area remain high.

On the 23rd (local time), major foreign media, citing sources, reported that Russian mercenaries have been deployed in the Donbas region occupied by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. According to the reports, "Three out of four sources received deployment offers to the Donbas region from Russian mercenary recruiters," adding, "They are gathering people with combat experience."

The Russian government denies the mercenary deployment claims. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated in a press release that day, "This is the first time we have heard of mercenary deployment, and we do not know how credible these claims are." It is known that about 122,000 Russian troops are currently stationed near the border with Ukraine.

While the Russian government is seeking diplomatic solutions with the West, military tensions at the border remain very high. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at his year-end press conference that Russia received generally positive responses to the security guarantees recently proposed to the United States and NATO, and that negotiations are scheduled to begin early next year in Geneva, Switzerland.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.