MOSCOW, August 6. /TASS/. About 16,000 mercenaries from 72 countries are taking part in the military conflict on Kiev’s side, Ukraine’s military ombudswoman Olga Reshetilova reported on her Facebook page (banned in Russia, owned by Meta, a corporation recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation).

"About 16,000 foreign volunteers from at least 72 countries around the world are currently supporting Ukraine. Nearly 40% of them are citizens of Latin American countries," she wrote.

She added that since January 27, that is, since the beginning of its operation, the Office of the Military Ombudsman of Ukraine has received more than 300 complaints from foreign mercenaries, their family members, and their authorized representatives. A special working group has been established within the office to work with mercenaries and analyze the issues they face while serving. Reshetilova also announced possible changes to the legal framework regarding mercenaries, though she did not provide details. According to her, the relevant proposals have been submitted to Vladimir Zelensky and the leadership of the Ministry of Defense.

Earlier, Russian security agencies accounted for the numerical imbalance of mercenaries in the Ukrainian armed forces in favor of Latin Americans. The reason lies in the cost of services provided by Europeans and Americans. Latin Americans are paid several times less, and it is much easier to use them as expendable personnel.