Kremlin says its troops will 'destroy' foreigners fighting for Kyiv

MOSCOW: The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russian troops were constantly hearing foreign languages spoken by those fighting for Ukraine on the front line, and promised that such fighters would be "destroyed".

AI Brief

Russia alleges NATO personnel are in Ukraine, citing intercepted foreign languages at the front lines.
NATO denies deploying troops, though reports suggest US and European intelligence presence in Ukraine.
Kremlin vows to target foreign fighters, reinforcing its stance amid rising tensions and speculation over Western involvement.

Russia has long said that NATO military personnel have been present in Ukraine and that its eavesdropping services have picked up English and French being spoken repeatedly at the front lines.

The U.S.-led NATO military alliance says it supports Ukraine but has not deployed soldiers there. U.S. media reports indicate that U.S. and leading European intelligence agencies have a significant presence in Ukraine.

"Our military hears foreign speech, they constantly hear foreign languages at the front," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about claims that France was preparing to deploy some soldiers to Ukraine.

"So, these foreigners are there, we are destroying them. Our military will continue to do their job."