Russian Strike Destroys Building in Kharkov Hosting French Mercenaries - Defense Ministry

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian military has destroyed a building in Ukraine’s Kharkov that hosted French mercenaries after it launched a precision strike against it, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

"On the evening of January 16, the Russian armed forced carried out a high-precision strike on the temporary deployment location of foreign fighters in the city of Kharkiv, and the majority of fighters were French mercenaries. As a result of the strike, the building in which the mercenaries were located was completely destroyed. More than 60 fighters were killed, and more than 20 were taken to health facilities," the ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Sputnik has found out that a US mercenary, retired officer, and founder of the Trident Defense Initiative mercenary group who is operating in Ukraine has published the aftermath of the presumably Russian strikes on Kharkov on his social media.

In late December, the Russian armed forces have hit Ukrainian decision-making centers and military facilities in Kharkov in response to the Ukrainian terrorist attack in the Russian city of Belgorod.

In particular, the former Kharkov Palace Hotel, where Ukrainian intelligence and military officials, along with up to 200 foreign mercenaries were staying, was hit that day. The mercenaries were supposed to participate in terrorist raids into Russian border areas.

The Russian military also launched another high-precision missile strike on the building of the Ukrainian intelligence service in the city, destroying special service officials, foreign mercenaries and volunteer unit fighters, who were preparing sabotage on Russian territory.