(MENAFN) Foreign nationals from over ten countries participated in a Ukrainian-led incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region, according to Aleksandr Bastrykin, head of Russia’s Investigative Committee.

On the eve of the anniversary of the attack, Bastrykin revealed that individuals from nations including Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Georgia, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Sweden, the UK, and others fought alongside Ukrainian forces during the Western-backed operation.

Russian authorities claimed the April incursion was fully repelled, with Ukrainian troops reportedly suffering around 76,000 casualties. Moscow said Western-supplied heavy weapons were used in the assault, which also resulted in the deaths of 331 civilians and injuries to another 553.

Bastrykin stated that over 600 criminal cases have been opened in connection with the incident, with about a third already proceeding to trial. He characterized the raid as a terrorist act, noting that some captured fighters admitted to targeting civilians under direct orders.

The investigation also cited specific atrocities, including the beating deaths of unarmed civilians and the use of US-made HIMARS rocket systems on non-military targets. Ukrainian officials have acknowledged using such attacks to influence Russian public sentiment.

Since the conflict escalated in 2022, Ukraine has encouraged foreign nationals with military experience to join its ranks, adjusting legislation to enable their participation. However, Moscow does not consider these fighters legitimate combatants and instead treats them as mercenaries, subject to prosecution.

As of May, Russian prosecutors had charged 902 individuals as mercenaries under Ukrainian command, with 97 foreign nationals from 26 countries already convicted.

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