One of the deceased bore a “tattoo of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, US Army Airborne Reconnaissance Regiment,” Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) – the agency in charge of Russia’s border security - said in a statement. The personal effects of the deceased also included items such as a Canadian flag and a “notebook with tactical training notes in English,” the statement said.
The discovery of foreign weapons, equipment and the aforementioned personal items on the corpses of four saboteurs who attempted to sneak across the Russian border suggest that “foreign mercenaries are working on behalf of the Ukrainians,” says former US DoD senior security policy analyst Michael Maloof.
“They're being killed and being targeted, as they should be,” Maloof told Sputnik, noting that these mercs are a “fair game” for the Russian forces.
He notes that the “markings” on one of the deceased suggested that the latter was from the US, with Maloof noting that many mercenaries from the US flocked to Kiev’s banners and perished as a result.
“If we had a foreign invasion in this country from outside, the US would probably respond similarly. So the Russian Federation is defending its territorial sovereignty,” he observes.
Maloof also notes that the bodies of the deceased mercenaries apparently bore “markings indicating foreign affiliations in their prior services.”
“Could be even US services,” he muses, adding that these “identifying marks of past affiliations” could be followed up.
US Involved in Ukrainian Conflict ‘Up to the Eyeballs From the Outset’
The participation of foreign militants in this thwarted attack indicates “desperation on the part of NATO and the West,” whether these militants were “part of an official NATO force” or mercenaries, says retired CIA intelligence officer and State Department official Larry Johnson.
“It's certainly definite proof that the West, the NATO countries have personnel that are fighting on behalf of the Ukrainians,” Johnson remarks, noting how ironic it is in light of the baseless claims by the West that North Korean soldiers fight for Russia.
According to him, this failed attack was “clearly planned by intelligence operatives,” and not by the Ukrainians.
“The primary CIA presence in Ukraine is what was known as special operations division, it's a paramilitary force,” Johnson remarks. “They've been there from the outset, trained to carry out missions like this, sabotage missions, raids.”
He also argues that this incident should not be regarded as a sign of the US becoming gradually involved in the Ukrainian conflict, simply because the US “has been involved up to the eyeballs from the outset.”
“It's just that now it's becoming perhaps, this could be used as evidence to present that. But I think the reality is the United States has been directly involved with this from the outset,” Johnson explains
Foreign Mercs in Ukrainian Sabotage Unit Point to Kiev's Troop Shortfall
The presence of foreign mercenaries in the Ukrainian team showcases Kiev’s “extreme shortage of experienced troops,” says veteran international consultant and retired US Army lieutenant colonel Earl Rasmussen.
The “special operations” type of mission this sabotage team was assigned required “highly skilled” operators capable of performing sabotage or reconnaissance, so in light of the lack of such people in the Ukrainian forces “it seems reasonable they'd be turning to mercenaries,” Rasmussen explains.
Regarding the objective this team was likely pursuing, he speculates that, given the relatively small size of the unit involved, it was likely “a reconnaissance, maybe reconnaissance in force, basically looking for a weak point” or a potential target for sabotage.
Noting that the United States has been involved in the Ukrainian conflict “for quite a while,” this recent incident may be a hint of a paradigm shift on the side of Russia's adversaries.
“Getting directly involved behind the scenes, that is kind of a new direction,” he muses. “Is it a sign of desperation? Is it a sign of weakness on the Ukrainian side? Probably both.”
Commenting on the US 75th Ranger Regiment tattoo found on the body of one of the sabotage soldiers, Rasmussen said that members of this unit can perform a wide range of tasks.
“What they actually do is classified, but they could be doing everything,” he told Sputnik.
Namely, Rasmussen elaborated, members of this unit could provide training, interface with civilians, or perform reconnaissance and sabotage of any type.