LUGANSK, March 20. /TASS/. Reconnaissance groups consisting of foreign mercenaries have been assigned to the Ukrainian brigades stationed in the Kupyansk direction, Retired Lieutenant Colonel Andrey Marochko of the Lugansk People’s Republic’s People's Militia told TASS.

"On the Kupyansk direction, separate reconnaissance groups were assigned to the Ukrainian 103rd Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces and the 14th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces," he said, citing the data of Russian intelligence.

Marochko noted that the abovementioned groups "consist of trained mercenaries, including foreigners." "At the moment they (foreigners - TASS) perform the function of covering and escorting the columns, as well as ensuring the safe transfer of reserves," the military expert informed.

On Sunday, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov said that the Russian Armed Forces' western battlegroup struck Ukrainian units in the Kupyansk direction, destroying up to 50 servicemen over the day.