Shoigu: Number of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine exceeded 6,000
The Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu confirms that the military operation will continue until all objectives are reached.
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Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Tuesday that Russia is continuing its special military operation in Ukraine despite Western pressure and support for Kiev.
Shoigu stated that Russia will continue until all the tasks are completed during a session of Defense Ministers Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization states.
The Minister added that ceasefires are being announced and humanitarian corridors are being opened to get people out of besieged communities, and that this is done deliberately to avoid casualties among the civilian population.
Shoigu added that the West is working to undermine relations between the countries of the CSTO, and that serious pressure is being exerted on Russia's allies, stressing that improving the forces of the organization and decision-making mechanisms is necessary.
The Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Stanislav Zas, confirmed two days ago that the organization has sufficient forces and means to respond to potential threats in connection with the expansion of NATO.
The Russian minister stressed that his country will continue to provide the necessary assistance to its allies in neutralizing threats and defending sovereignty.
He pointed to the presence of more than 6,000 foreign mercenary fighters in Ukraine, adding that the West refuses to recognize many facts of torture and brutal killing of Russian prisoners of war, noting that Russian forces, unlike the armed forces of Ukraine, do not strike civilian infrastructure.
Read more: Ukrainian forces record videos of torturing Russian POWs to incite fear: Russia
The West organized emergency supplies of lethal weapons to Ukraine, fearing the defeat of its forces at the hands of the Russian army, Shoigu added.
For his part, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that talking about the idea of militarization and pumping more weapons into Ukraine will not help in strengthening security and stability on the European continent.
