Russian propaganda circulates false claims of “foreign mercenaries” killed in Kursk region

The Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) has issued a warning about a new wave of Russian disinformation.

According to the CCD, Russian propagandists are falsely claiming that 4,781 so-called “foreign mercenaries” from countries including Poland, Georgia, Colombia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and Japan have been killed in the Kursk region since the summer of 2024.

The disinformation narrative alleges that the majority of those killed were Polish citizens.

Russian sources are citing a German online platform specializing in data collection and visualization as the origin of these fabricated statistics. However, the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) has confirmed that the company in question did not conduct such research, and the materials shared by Russian propagandists do not appear on the platform’s website or social media channels.

The CCD emphasized that the goal of these false claims is to legitimize Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine and promote the narrative that “the whole world is fighting against Russia.”

“In doing so, Russian propaganda seeks to justify to its domestic audience why the war against Ukraine — a country with a significantly smaller military — has dragged on for three years,” the Center stated. “This disinformation is also aimed at fueling anti-war sentiment in European countries and increasing pressure on governments that support Ukraine.”

• Meanwhile, recent reports indicate that approximately 200 Chinese citizens are fighting as mercenaries on the side of Russia in its war against Ukraine.