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Military operation in Ukraine

Russia views any French military personnel in Ukraine as fair game — Lavrov

The Russian foreign minister stressed that regardless whether they are considered to be servicemen from the French armed forces or simply mercenaries, they represent a legitimate target for the Russian armed forces

OYO /Republic of the Congo/, June 4. /TASS/. Any French military personnel in Ukraine, be they instructors or mercenaries, are legitimate targets for Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference.

"As for the issue of French instructors, I have grounds to think and there are quite a few specific facts that they are already working in Ukraine. Regardless whether they are considered to be servicemen from the French armed forces or <...> simply mercenaries, they represent a legitimate target for our armed forces," the top Russian diplomat said.

Earlier, Reuters reported citing diplomatic sources that France may send military instructors to Ukraine as early as this week despite the risk of a direct clash with Russia. According to the news agency, at early stages Paris may send a limited number of instructors, planning to increase this number to several hundred later. According to the sources, the mission will not operate under the auspices of the European Union or NATO.

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Foreign policy Sergey Lavrov France Military operation in Ukraine

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