A partial list of French mercenaries who could be in the Ukrainian city of Kharkov during the Russian attack on their location was provided to Sputnik by French volunteers from the SOS Donbass organization, who communicate with compatriots in the territories controlled by Kiev.
There are 13 names on the list. The age of the French who took part in the hostilities in Ukraine varies from 24 to 49 years.
The head of SOS Donbass, Anna Novikova, who has Russian and French citizenship, told Sputnik that information about who of those Frenchmen is alive or dead needs to be clarified and will be given later.
Names in the list are: Albert Aymeric, 12/22/1999, Alexis Drion, 06/13/1986, Berenger Guillaume Alain Minaud, 12/30/1978, Charles Bertin Roussel, 09/01/1996, Emmanuel Tanguy Kenneth Delange Grandal, 09/26/1998, Gilles Bernard Sylvain, 10/27/1980, Jacques-Pierre Gabriel Evrard Philippe, 09/29/1987, Jean-Pierre Bonnot Chris Heraid, 07/17/1999, Marcellin Demon, 05/23/2002, Maris Andre Dubois Clement, 09/28/1995, Sabastienne Claude Remy Benard, 04/04/1974, Thomas Jeremy Nathan Gourier, 02/24/1996, Valentin Dupoy Mel, 01/02/1994.
On January 17, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Russian armed forces destroyed a temporary deployment point for foreign fighters in Kharkov, most of whom were French mercenaries, adding that about 60 soldiers were killed.
The French Foreign Ministry has rejected the information that French citizens serve in the ranks of the Ukrainian military and said that the Russian statement is a gross manipulation. The Russian Foreign Ministry later summoned the French Ambassador over the matter.