MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. US mercenaries are fabricating military credentials to join the Ukrainian armed forces, according to their social media pages, reviewed by TASS.

Many claim fictitious participation in Operation Red Dawn (the capture of Saddam Hussein) and inflate their years of service, as Ukrainian recruiters do not verify the information. Some boast of being Marines with hundreds of confirmed kills. It was also found that some mercenaries who desert Ukraine fly home and later return to join different units.

The Russian defense ministry has repeatedly reported the elimination of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine, stating they are used as "cannon fodder" with no regard for their lives.