Foreign Mercenaries Fighting For Ukraine Wounded In Russian Strike On Kramatorsk - Reports

At least two foreign mercenaries fighting for Ukraine have been wounded in a Russian strike on the city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), CNN reported.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported on June 28 that a point of temporary deployment of the commanders of the 56th motorized infantry brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kramatorsk was hit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked about the Kremlin's attitude toward Kiev's statement that civilians were allegedly killed as a result of the Russian strike on Kramatorsk, said Russia does not attack civilian infrastructure, but hits military infrastructure-related facilities.

According to the US broadcaster, American mercenary Nick Duckworth said he and his "colleagues," including UK mercenary Mo Hornik, escaped with minor injuries.

The report quoted Duckworth as saying there was a "kids' party", humanitarian workers, journalists and "very few actual military personnel" at the site.

In November 2022, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said over 8,000 mercenaries from more than 60 countries had arrived in Ukraine, the largest groups coming from Poland, the United States, Canada, Romania and the UK, despite the fact that in many countries mercenary activities are prohibited by law and prosecuted. 

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•  It was imprudent of three Colombian nationals to visit Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), where they were wounded as a result of a rocket strike, the Russian embassy in Colombia said on Wednesday.

"We are glad that this reckless visit has not turned an irreparable tragedy for the Colombian nationals who received light wounds," it wrote on its Twitter account.

The embassy recommended Colombian citizens "to refrain from visiting territories in the zone of combat operations."

Earlier in the day, Colombian President Gustavo Petro instructed the country’s foreign ministry to express protest to Russia after three Colombian nationals were wounded as a result of a strike on Kramatorsk. According to the Infobae news portal, former adviser to the Colombian president Sergio Jaramillo, writer Hector Abad, and journalist Catalina Gomez went to Kramatorsk after a book fair in Kiev.

In response to Kiev’s accusations of the deaths of civilians after Russia’s rocket strike on Kramatorsk, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Russia never targets civilian infrastructure.