Investigators of the Investigative Committee of Russia (TFR) found in the liberated Mariupol near the former positions of Ukrainian nationalists a British military jacket Jacket Combat Tropical Desert DPM.
According to RIA Novosti on May 25, the tunic has a NATO size marking on the tag, and on the left shoulder there is a patch with the national flag of Great Britain. Next to the tunic, investigators also found official documents from the radical nationalist group Azov and a laptop, which allegedly belongs to a high-ranking employee of the National Guard of Ukraine.
It is known that the tunic found belongs to the CS95 field equipment of the British Army. The model of such a military uniform was adopted in the country in April 1991, it was widely used in the British army until 2010 inclusive.
A day earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that more than 6,000 foreign mercenaries are currently operating in Ukraine.
On May 21, the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, stated that, according to preliminary information, among the Azov members who surrendered at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol were, according to preliminary information, foreign citizens. The territory of the plant was completely liberated on May 20, as reported by the RF Ministry of Defense.
On April 27, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported that the Ukrainian armed formations included mercenaries from more than 50 countries of the world.
On February 24, Russia announced the start of a special operation to protect Donbass. The operation began against the backdrop of the situation in the Donbass that worsened in mid-February. The authorities of the DPR and LPR reported increased shelling by Ukrainian troops, announced the evacuation of civilians in the Russian Federation and asked for recognition of independence. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a corresponding decree.