CNN is reporting that “Russia is poised to deploy up to 1,000 more mercenaries to Ukraine in the coming days and weeks,” adding to the anxiety civilians face in the war-torn country.
The mercenary forces would fortify the flagging units as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its second weekend, a US official said, according to CNN.
The US believes the mercenaries already in Ukraine have “performed poorly when facing the stiffer-than-expected resistance from the Ukrainians,” and that as many as 200 such mercenaries have already been killed in the war as of late February, the official said.
Western officials also warned that Russia now seems prepared to “bombard cities into submission,” which could include a significant increase in the number of civilian casualties.
