Moscow, Russia- Defense Ministry spokesperson, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, announced on Saturday that 300 foreigners fighting for Ukraine had been killed in the Mykolaiv Region in southern Ukraine.
Konashenkov also said a Russian fighter shot down a Ukrainian MiG-29 that had been converted to use American HARM anti-radar missiles in the vicinity of the village of Sergeyevka, in the southeastern Dnepropetrovsk Region.
“Up to 300 militants were eliminated by a missile attack on the point of temporary deployment of foreign mercenaries in the area of the village of Kalinovka, Nikolayev Region,” said Konashenkov.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials on Saturday said a Russian missile hit an apartment building in the city of Zaporizhzhia, killing one person and injuring seven others, and said a total of three people were killed and 19 injured in strikes across the south and east of the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has since said Russian service members who voluntarily surrender to enemy forces during an armed conflict will now face up to ten years behind bars upon returning home.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has demanded just punishment for Russia’s crime against his nation.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly by video on Wednesday, Zelenskyy laid out a five-point plan to establish peace in the seven-month-long conflict.
The non-negotiable conditions included punishment for Russian aggression, restoration of Ukraine’s security, and territorial integrity and security guarantees.
“Punishment for the crime of aggression. Punishment for violation of borders and territorial integrity. The punishment must be in place until the internationally-recognized border is restored. Those who speak of neutrality, when human values and peace are under attack, mean something else.
The further the Russian terror reaches, the less likely it is that anyone in the world will agree to sit at one table with them,” said Zelenskyy.
Moreso, European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, said Putin could use nuclear weapons if his forces are pushed into a corner.
“It’s a dangerous moment because the Russian army has been pushed into a corner, and Putin’s reaction threatening of using nuclear arms is very bad,” said Borrell.
In addition, Borrell said a diplomatic solution must be reached, but one that preserves the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Borrell’s claim that the Russian military has been cornered is likely based on the fact that Ukraine managed to capture a large swath of land in the region of Kharkov earlier this month.
