TASHKENT, May 28. /TASS/. Western instructors are sustaining losses in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"Specialists are staying there under the guise of mercenaries," he said, commenting on documents legalizing the presence of French instructors at Ukrainian army training centers that were signed by Ukraine’s Commander in Chief Alexander Syrsky.

"There was a question about long-range precision weapons," Putin went on to say. "Who runs these weapons, who services them? Of course, it is these instructors that are disguised as mercenaries."

"They are there and are sustaining losses," Putin said. "And it is becoming more and more difficult for them to conceal these losses."

"Maybe it’s time to say that they are officially present there to show actual losses officially," he added.