Sources from the pro-Russian forces in Odessa, Ukraine, report that a group of about 60 French soldiers have arrived by boat in the Black Sea port city.
According to RIA News, citing sources within the organization in Odessa, around 60 French mercenaries have reached the southwestern Ukrainian port city. The Russian publication notes that these mercenaries arrived in Odessa on three boats.
Local news outlets in Odessa also recorded the arrival of three boats carrying foreign mercenaries, totaling about 60 individuals, at the Odessa seaport.
They reported that the newcomers were armed and equipped for combat, communicating with each other in French.
The RIA News source specified that the foreign soldiers were noted in Odessa on June 9.
Local residents observed that, soon after their arrival, the French mercenaries dispersed throughout the city. They rarely appeared on the streets and avoided contact with locals.
Some experts suggest that the arrival of this “strange military group” by boat could indicate they originated from another Black Sea country, such as Romania.
It is currently unclear whether more groups will land in Odessa in the future, but with less than 100 individuals, it is likely these are military trainers rather than a regular French Army unit.
Previously, Russian media reported multiple sightings of French mercenaries in various Ukrainian areas controlled by the Kiev regime, including near the frontlines with Russia.
There have been reports of Russian attacks on locations with French military presence in Slavyansk (Donetsk). French-speaking soldiers were also spotted in Kharkov before a Russian attack there.
Parisian officials deny all Russian military claims regarding French soldiers in Ukraine, though they do not rule out the presence of freelance mercenaries or volunteers.
Recently, French officials have begun discussing the idea of sending regular military units to assist the Ukrainian Armed Forces, not for combat support but for training in combat operations and weapon use.
Some French military experts believe that French soldiers could be deployed to Ukraine to help protect rear areas in major cities, allowing Ukrainian forces to move their rear units to reinforce intense combat zones.
In this context, the port city of Odessa and the capital, Kiev, are considered potential locations for the deployment of French troops in Ukraine.
