A Spanish mercenary spoke about corruption and harsh treatment of foreigners in the Armed Forces of Ukraine

A mercenary from Spain, Joan Estevez, who fought in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), spoke about large-scale corruption and disdain for foreigners, noting that they are used as "cannon fodder." The Periodico newspaper publishes an interview with him on April 2.

According to the 39-year-old Catalan, he spent six months in Ukraine in the first half of 2023 as part of the International Legion, participating in combat operations as a sniper.

Estevez complained about the poor conditions of the military and the lack of necessary equipment, clothing and equipment.

"Some of the equipment supplied from the West disappears, and then it can be seen in the markets of Kiev. Soldiers have to buy it to take it with them to the front," he said.

Estevez also noted that untrained mercenaries are often sent on deliberately failed missions.

The level of payment decreased significantly: if at first he received €3-3.5 thousand per month, then later this amount was reduced to € 1.5 thousand, and the rest was paid only for staying in the danger zone, she added. "Газета.Ru ".

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Earlier, on April 1, it was reported that the DPR court sentenced a mercenary from Uruguay who fought in the Armed Forces of Ukraine to 14 years in absentia. The defendant was found guilty under Part 3 of Article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Participation of a mercenary in an armed conflict"). The court found that he arrived in Ukraine in April 2022, where he fought as part of the International Legion and the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.