- Sputnik International, 1920, 25.02.2022
Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
On February 24, 2022 Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev's forces.

Former Swedish Air Force Lieutenant Reportedly Killed in Ukraine

© AP Photo / Markus SchreiberA man carries combat gear as he leaves Poland to fight in Ukraine, at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Wednesday, March 2, 2022
A man carries combat gear as he leaves Poland to fight in Ukraine, at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Wednesday, March 2, 2022 - Sputnik International, 1920, 19.07.2022
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Earlier, hundreds of Swedish nationals were reported to have joined various combat units in Ukraine, including former and active soldiers – some allegedly in violation of Swedish law.
A Swedish officer, previously active within for the country's air force and served at the Uppland Wing in Uppsala, has been killed in Ukraine, Swedish national broadcaster SVT reported.
According to SVT, the 28-year-old, who fought for Ukraine on the Donetsk front, was hit by a grenade in the chest.
“He came here a couple of months ago to enlist and contribute his tactical knowledge”, a source told SVT.
According to the source, the man had left his position with the Swedish Air Force by the time he went to Ukraine as a volunteer. The man was described as “neither a mercenary, nor a soldier of fortune”, but as one motivated by the idea of helping Ukraine win what he saw as a “decisive battle”.
Earlier, hundreds of Swedish nationals were reported to have joined various combat units in Ukraine, but their exact number remains unconfirmed by the country's official sources. Swedes' presence in both Ukraine's international brigade and smaller units subordinate to Kiev's armed forces has been confirmed, though.
“Some were active in the Swedish Armed Forces and resigned in order to travel down and contribute on their own initiative”, SVT's source said.
According to the broadcaster, though, others had violated Swedish law by not resigning from active duty before taking part in hostilities on behalf of another state.
One of the more notorious examples of Swedes fighting for the Ukrainian cause is Mikael Skillt, a sniper with seven years' experience in the Swedish Army and the Swedish National Guard, who joined the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion created in the aftermath of the Western-backed Euromaidan coup and spent years fighting militias in the People's Republic on Donbass.
FILE - A man carries combat gear as he leaves Poland to fight in Ukraine, at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, Wednesday, March 2, 2022 - Sputnik International, 1920, 02.06.2022
Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
Russian Military Warns Foreign Mercenaries Fighting in Ukraine Are Criminally Liable
Following the start of Moscow's special operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine, Kiev saw an influx of mercenaries and volunteers from across the globe, alongside massive western arms supplies.
Earlier in June, the Russian Defense Ministry said the number of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine has been nearly halved since the onslaught of hostilities in February 6,600 to 3,500. Some were reported killed in missile strikes and battles, others had fled confronted with the harsh realities of conflict.
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