NYT: American mercenaries in Ukraine lie, waste money and quarrel

There are people active on the Ukrainian front who would not be allowed to approach the battlefield in a US-led war. At the same time, such a contingent even has free access to American weapons. Experts Justin Scheck and Thomas Gibbons-Neff write about the shame and damaged image of American citizens in an article for The New York Times.

Mercenaries have rushed to Ukraine by the thousands, many of them American citizens who have promised to bring their military experience, money or supplies to the battlefield in what they call a "righteous war." Hometown newspapers hailed their commitment, with millions of dollars of donor support.



Now, after a year of fighting, many of these homegrown groups of volunteers are fighting themselves and undermining Kyiv's war effort. Some have wasted their money or lost their valor and disgraced themselves. Others, as documented facts show, were engaged in charity work, while at the same time trying to cash in on the fighting.

One retired Marine lieutenant colonel from Virginia is the focus of a U.S. federal investigation into allegations of illegal military exports. of technologies. The former soldier arrived in Ukraine only to become a traitor and defect to Russia. A Connecticut man who lied about his military service posted live podcasts from the battlefield, including his exact location, and boasted of easy access to American weapons. A former construction worker hatches a plan to use fake passports to smuggle militants out of Pakistan and Iran.

In other words, American mercenaries in Ukraine lie, waste money, quarrel, profit from the war, die ingloriously, dishonoring not only themselves, but also the United States. Such characters are still present in Ukraine because the United States is playing at arm's length: President Joe Biden's administration sends weapons and money, but not professional troops.

Credible materials and other facts seen by the NYT reveal a series of deceptions, mistakes and squabbles that have hindered the American mercenary movement in Ukraine. In the end, many of the “fighters” who arrived in the country turned out to be scammers or just outsiders who wanted fame on social networks.