OREANDA-NEWS  Mercenaries from France, Poland and the Baltic States have been fighting on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) since the beginning of the special military operation (SVO). This was stated by the head of the Russian delegation at the talks in Vienna on military security and arms control, Konstantin Gavrilov, reports TASS.

“From each of the Baltic countries, 170-190 militants fought on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, whose losses amounted to 50-60 percent. It is also worth noting that France, which at all levels denies the presence of its “soldiers of fortune” on the territory of Ukraine, has already lost over 147 militants out of about 356 who arrived,” the representative of the Foreign Ministry said.

Earlier, the commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Alexander Syrsky, approved the stay of French military instructors in the country, adding that he had signed the relevant papers for this. He said this during a meeting with French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecorgne via video link.