Ukrainian soldiers firing mortars. Archival photoPARIS, June 3 A French mercenary was killed in the Kharkiv region in Ukraine, Europe 1 radio station reports. It is reported that the Frenchman came to fight as part of an international legion on the side of the Ukrainian troops. According to the radio station, he was mortally wounded after an artillery shelling near Kharkov. This is the first French mercenary killed since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24th. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine», to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for «bloody crimes against civilians» in Donbass. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops and , on March 25, completed the main tasks of the first stage — significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass. Who is going to fight in Ukraine
