SEOUL, March 20. /TASS/. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry is checking reports that five out of 15 South Korean mercenaries fighting for Kiev in Ukraine have been killed, a ministry spokesperson told TASS.

"We are aware of Russia’s statement and we are checking the information," the spokesperson said.

On March 14, the Russian Defense Ministry released statistics showing that a total of 13,387 mercenaries from various countries had arrived in Ukraine since the start of Moscow’s special military operation. Russian forces eliminated 5,962 mercenaries, including five South Korean ones.

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said at a press conference for foreign journalists on March 18 that the Russian Defense Ministry’s statement was "one-sided." According to him, Seoul has so far been unable to confirm the information.