Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.
Sheikh Qassem: The government’s latest decision [on the disarmament of the Resistance] is non-charter-based, and if the government continues down this path, it is not faithful to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Possible strike on Western mercs gathering in Kramatorsk: Footage

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Al Mayadeen English
  • 28 Jun 2023 20:14
  • 7 Shares
4 Min Read

The Russian armed forces target a hotel that has apparently been home to dozens of foreign mercenaries and soldiers.

  • x
  • Possible massive Western mercenaries gathering hit in Ukraine: Footage
    Screen Grab from a video showing the location of the strike in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region (Telegram)

Ukraine on Wednesday accused Russia of striking a hotel in the city of Kramatorsk, which was backed with photos and videos documenting the aftermath of the incident. The Ukrainian emergency services claimed that at least ten people were killed and another 61 were wounded in the strike.

ALERT
Two rockets hit restaurant RIA Lounge in downtown Kramatorsk. People trapped under the rubble. Heavy scenes. Wounded and dead. pic.twitter.com/FY3pL3qQr7

— Arnaud De Decker (@arnauddedecker) June 27, 2023

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense said the point of temporary deployment of the commanders of the 56th motorized infantry brigade of Ukraine's Armed Forces was hit, with footage confirming that there were soldiers trapped under the rubble.

Additionally, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskovc said, "The Russian Federation does not strike at civilian infrastructure. The strikes are made at facilities that are somehow connected with military infrastructure."

Kramatorsk has long been a heated battlefield - within the Donetsk People's Republic, Kiev and Moscow have long been fighting for control over the strategic city.

One photo shared by a Belgian freelance reporter shows men in what appears to be combat fatigues in the background.

This is a picture from inside. I took it about 20 minutes before the explosions. pic.twitter.com/NaWOoCNJd9

— Arnaud De Decker (@arnauddedecker) June 27, 2023

The claims being made by Ukraine and Western media were quickly undermined by footage shared on social media that made various revelations about the nature of the incident.

English-speaking 'locals'

Ukraine was quick to underline that the site was purely civilian; however, videos circulated online show that there was a huge concentration of troops at the site hit by Russia.

Though they were not in uniform, the soldiers in question bore many indications highlighting that they were foreigners, as they were speaking English and had tattoos and symbols affiliated with the US military, which indicates that they are mercenaries that came to fight against Russia.

Disinformation is actively spreading in the Ukrainian segment of the Internet that Russia has destroyed civilian objects in Kramatorsk, and many vacationers have suffered.

But all the facts point to the opposite: there are videos of the “first seconds” after the impact on the… pic.twitter.com/tF852dzx2r

— Neodvisni Novinar (@EZdionica88) June 28, 2023

The person shooting the video in the video linked above can be heard talking to the man on the ground, who appears to have been hit by the Russian bombardment, saying to him: "You're listening to me, yeah?" With another saying: "Nod your head if you can hear us," confirming that the men present at the site were foreigners.

Related News

Ukrainian official calls for evacuation from Kramatorsk in Donbass

China envoy to UN: Missile attack on Kramatorsk train station must be investigated

They could just be tourists, but it would be more than just a coincidence for such a large concentration of American tourists to be a hotel in war-struck Kramatorsk. This is not the only video in which English can be heard in the DPR city. English chattering can clearly be heard in the video, though much of it is unintelligible due to the chaos.

Original pic.twitter.com/CgyPuVMy6k

— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) June 28, 2023

The above video shows another English speaker at the site, who condemns the attack before revealing that "there's soldiers under this rubble all over."

Military insignia

Going back to the first video, looking closely at the first clip, the man opposite the one filming the video appears to have a tattoo on his forearm. After further inspection, several social media users were quick to notice that the tattoo matches the path of the third ranger battalion of the US Army, confirming that the man is either actively in combat or an army veteran.

just a regular ol' local helping out after the strike https://t.co/sBRF4I2DBb pic.twitter.com/aVmGGYi0uV

— Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) June 27, 2023

Another video shows a medic treating a wounded individual wearing military fatigues and donning the flag of the United States on his helmet. (Can be seen at around 00:13).

vid from a belgian journalist there, idk but 2dudes who come out in black with just army bodyplates look fishy af pic.twitter.com/9ZSnCkL0Yl

— M.Tushayev (@Ghostoftushayev) June 27, 2023

That same video shows other soldiers and a pair of men emerging from behind the site the medic is treating the wounded wearing black combat fatigues and body plates.

Another screengrab from another video showed that one man was wearing a shirt with the insignia of the 101st Airborne Division, an infantry division of the US Army that specializes in air assault operations.

More US chevrons. pic.twitter.com/Ae9tmxF9Yd

— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) June 28, 2023

Some journalists argued that the Russian armed forces attacked a hotel in which NATO instructors and Ukrainian soldiers reside.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky still insisted that Russia used an S300 missile to attack civilians.

Arresting man accused of aiding Russia

The Ukrainian authorities arrested a man accused of helping Russia direct the missile strike that killed at least 10 people.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claimed that they arrested a "Russian spy" over disclosing the position of the strike, which would not add up if the victims were civilians, as Russia would not need intelligence to target civilian infrastructure.

The Ukrainian narrative does not seem to be adding up, and the strikes on the hotel indicate the massive presence of Western troops in Ukraine as the West collectively tries to combat Russia through Kiev.

  • Kramatorsk
  • United States
  • Moscow
  • Russia
  • Western mercenaries
  • Kiev
  • Ukraine

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS