Now Russian separatists in Ukraine accuse Britain of training Russian mercenaries

Now Russian separatists in Ukraine accuse Britain of training Polish mercenaries in latest propaganda campaign amid warnings of ‘false flag plot’

  • Pro-Russian separatists tried to draw Britain into latest black propaganda claims 
  • Claimed group of Polish ‘mercenary terrorists’ trained by UK had been spotted
  • They claimed they were seen fighting alongside Ukrainian government forces


Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have tried to draw Britain into their latest black propaganda claims.

Hoping to raise tensions in the area even further and sow disinformation, the separatists claimed that a group of Polish ‘mercenary terrorists’ trained by the UK had been spotted fighting alongside Ukrainian government forces.

Lt Col Eduard Basurin, a senior commander in the pro-Moscow breakaway group the Donbass People’s Republic Militia claimed around 40 Polish-speaking mercenaries were spotted on the front line near Popansa, Luhansk.

‘The presence of two armed assault groups of up to 20 fighters in mixed camouflage uniforms has been noted in the zone of the Ukrainian 24th Mechanized Brigade. During closer reconnaissance, it was established that they are speaking Polish,’ a spokesman for Basurin said.

It is just the latest example of black propaganda in recent days, including several ‘false flag’ reports, any one of which could be used as a pretext for a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Lt Col Eduard Basurin claimed around 40 Polish-speaking mercenaries were spotted on the front line near Popansa, Luhansk

Lt Col Eduard Basurin claimed around 40 Polish-speaking mercenaries were spotted on the front line near Popansa, Luhansk

Basurin added: ‘The Polish mercenaries arrived in the area under the guise of instructors as part of the so-called Joint Forces formation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Before being sent to the Donbass, the members of these groups underwent military training under the guidance of British instructors.’

According to the DPR command, the mission of the Polish mercenaries and Ukrainian extremists is to carry out ‘terrorist and sabotage attacks aimed at disrupting daily life and intimidating the local population.’

They were said to be operating alongside members of the ‘Right Sector’ an extremist Ukrainian nationalist grouping banned in Russia .

Two units consisting of Right Sector militants, 70-80 people each, also arrived at the locations of the 54th and 56th brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, further along the front, Basurin announced.

Sabotage operations have been banned by mutual agreement by both sides in the conflict – so anyone captured is likely to be accused of being a saboteur.

The news came as it emerged that British defence chiefs are considering staging a massive joint US-UK parachute drop into eastern Europe.

The exercise would be a show of force to Vladimir Putin, as it is feared he will give orders to invade Ukraine, with 126,000 troops on the country’s eastern flank and 80,000 Moscow and Belarus soldiers to the north.

One plan under discussion is to parachute members of 2 Para and the US 82nd Airborne into Poland as a sign of defiance towards Putin.

Pictured: Civilians participate in a Territorial Defence unit training session in Obukhiv, Ukraine

Pictured: Civilians participate in a Territorial Defence unit training session in Obukhiv, Ukraine

Officers in the Ukrainian military forces (pictured) walk in front of damaged buildings in Mariinka, Donetsk

Officers in the Ukrainian military forces (pictured) walk in front of damaged buildings in Mariinka, Donetsk 

Lt Col Eduard Basurin claimed the Polish mercenaries arrived in the area under the guise of instructors as part of the so-called Joint Forces formation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Lt Col Eduard Basurin claimed the Polish mercenaries arrived in the area under the guise of instructors as part of the so-called Joint Forces formation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

More than 120 members of 2 Para’s B Company are already in Estonia on winter warfare exercises with NATO units.

As many as 400 members of 2 Para could be asked to join American colleagues in demonstrating what the Army calls a ‘Joint Forcible Entry’.

The Parachute Regiment are part of 16 Air Assault Brigade – the UK’s high readiness troops based in Colchester, Essex.

After the air drop, they would then launch a 14-day wargaming exercise – as Russian troops are currently exercising across the border in Belarus.

Sources say the Parachute Regiment is ‘extremely keen’ to perform the drop with the Americans but the MoD and Number Ten are concerned it may appear ‘over-aggressive’.

More than 200 British Paras dropped into Ukraine in September 2020, in a joint exercise with local forces.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: ‘There are currently no plans for 16 Air Assault Brigade to conduct a jump into Eastern Europe.’ 

source: dailymail.co.uk