Russia-Ukraine War

PMCs legally don't exist in Ukraine. They're booming anyway
War

PMCs legally don't exist in Ukraine. They're booming anyway

by Polina Moroziuk

Across Ukraine, dozens of private firms train drone operators, clear minefields, maintain military hardware, and teach foreign clients how to fight a modern war. Some go as far as calling themselves private military companies. Yet, in the eyes of Ukrainian law, they do not exist. Ukrainian legislation prohibits armed formations outside state control and has never recognized PMCs, even as most of the activities associated with them carry on under ordinary licenses, permits, and commercial contr

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Exclusive: European Parliament to scrutinize its most pro-Russian member

A special committee of the European Parliament is set to investigate its pro-Russian Luxemburger, Fernand Kartheiser, for potential breaches of parliamentary rules linked to his ties to Russia, according to a letter first seen by the Kyiv Independent on June 15. The news comes shortly after Kartheiser visited the economic forum in St. Petersburg and subsequently sent to fellow members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and their staff a so-called St. Petersburg declaration, the backers of which

About War

The Kyiv Independent's coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, after eight years of aggression against Ukraine that began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and fighting in Donbas. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of military and civilian casualties and displaced millions of Ukrainians. NATO and Western allies have provided military aid to Ukraine while the conflict continues across fronts in Ukraine’s south and east.

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