"Mercenaries" in Ukraine

January 18th, 18PM January 18th, 18PM

(Combines Moscow and Paris stories)

MOSCOW, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Russia summoned the French ambassador to its foreign ministry on Thursday in connection with an allegation, denied by Paris, that French mercenaries had been killed while fighting against Russia in Ukraine.

Russia said on Wednesday its forces had carried out a precision strike a day earlier on a building housing "foreign fighters", mostly from France, in Ukraine's second city Kharkiv. It did not provide evidence for the claim, which said more than 60 people had been killed.

The French foreign ministry responded with a statement saying: "France has no mercenaries, neither in Ukraine nor elsewhere, unlike certain others."

Russia's state-run TASS news agency said France's ambassador had been summoned in connection with the incident. The purpose of summoning an envoy is normally to register a diplomatic protest.

The French statement, released in Paris, said: "France helps Ukraine with supplies of military material and military training, in full compliance with international law, in order to help Ukraine in its fight to defend its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity."
UPDATE 1-Russia Summons French Ambassador in Row Over "Mercenaries" in Ukraine (msn.com)

The French mercs too slow to whip out their standard issue white flags...