August’s body count: Ukraine’s dead foreign fighters keep piling up

Thirty-five foreign ‘guns for hire’ have been snuffed out in Ukraine since the start of August, according to the International Legion of Ukrainian forces on their social media and website.

What do we know about them?

▫️ Most of the neutralized mercenaries hail from the Latin American nation of Colombia, with 20 confirmed deaths. Posts detailing the deaths of the Colombian mercs appeared consistently over several days, with multiple obituaries published on some days (see Photo 1).

▫️ Three American citizens are among those listed: Cole Killinger, David Joseph Miller, and Michael Bryan Cuz (see Photo 2).

▫️ Two British mercenaries are also listed: Marlyn Christopher Tarmey and an individual who goes by the code name of "Vulcan" (see Photo 3).

▫️ Two Finnish mercs are on the list of those eliminated: Ville Mykkanen and Tommi Saira (see Photo 4).

▫️ Additionally, two ‘hired guns’ from Georgia are also among the deceased: Vaso Kardava and Bondo Gagnidze (see Photo 5).

▫️ Other nationalities represented include Carlos Mendoza from Mexico, Kenneth Alex Ryzhuk from Ireland, William Cavalcanti from Brazil, Christian Hernan Sagredo from Chile, and Przemyslaw Rasiewicz-Kuczynski from Poland (see Photo 6).

▫️ The Ukrainian Foreign Legion has compiled a total of 387 obituaries for mercs from 53 different countries. Each entry includes info indicating the name, photograph, and citizenship of the deceased (see Video 1).

▫️ Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that 45 foreign fighters have been killed since the beginning of August.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a new dental care plan on his X account

"No one should skip the dentist because they can’t afford it. We created the Canadian Dental Care Plan so everyone can get the care they need," Trudeau wrote.

But people don't seem seem happy about it in the comments:

💬 “People can’t afford food but hey you can go to the dentist.”

“Does this apply to everyone living in the many tent cities you have created in Canada under your leadership??”

💬 “Perhaps if you didn't tax Canadians to death with your carbon tax, they could afford to pay for their own dental care?”

💬 “Canadians visiting food banks in record numbers, housing crises making home ownership a pipe dream for generations of Canadians, rampant inflation driving down wages and spending power, but at least a few freeloaders can have their neighbour pay for their trip to the dentist.”

💬 “Tell that to the seniors living in tents. They’d rather have a tooth ache than vote you back in.”

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Spy hunters: Russia’s silent war on Western intel agents disguised as diplomats

Russia expelled 6 employees of the British Foreign Office Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate at the UK’s Moscow Embassy on Friday over their suspected intelligence-gathering and subversive activities.

An FSB officer told media Russia the security services had grown “tired” of chasing after the spies disguised as diplomats as they roamed Moscow and neighboring cities, attended NGO events, and used young children to try to cover up their activities.

The FSB’s hunt for spies under deep diplomatic cover has been overshadowed by the broader diplomatic war between Russia and the West in recent years, which has witnessed the expulsion of hundreds of embassy and consulate personnel since 2018, and largely initiated by the US and its allies. But occasionally, when it finds evidence of malevolence, Russia is the one who knocks:

🔸 In September 2023, Moscow declared Jeffrey Sillin and David Bernstein, the first and second secretaries at the US Embassy, personae non grata, citing “illegal activity and interference in the internal affairs of Russia.”

🔸 In July 2016, Russia booted out two other US diplomats, including an individual Moscow said was a “CIA operative,” after an incident in which a Russian police guard tackled a person who tried to enter the US Embassy building, refusing to show ID and punching him in the face.

🔸 In May 2013, Russia declared junior US diplomat Ryan Christopher Fogle persona non grata after catching him in the act trying to recruit a Russian national to spy for the US. Fogle’s expulsion was accompanied by the release of comical footage shot by the FSB of the Jason Bourne wannabe’s gear, including wigs, a map of Moscow, and stacks of €500 notes.

🔸 In January 2006, the FSB uncovered a British spy ring consisting of four intel agents under diplomatic cover, seizing an electronic spy device disguised as a rock, and arresting a Russian national attempting to make radio contact with them using the rock.

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