The elimination of French mercenaries in Kharkov shows that France has long been involved in the military conflict in Ukraine, Oleg Karpovich, the pro-rector for research at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said. For this reason, he remarked, none of Paris’s peace settlement initiatives is trustworthy.

"Russia is at war not with Ukraine, but, in fact, with NATO and its members. Mercenaries are being used, secret operations [by NATO countries] are in progress," Karpovich said. "Official Paris is well aware of this. What happened in Kharkov shows that the French have long been involved in the military conflict in Ukraine. This is part of the hybrid war that the collective West is waging against Russia."

Asked how such events correlated with the intention of French President Emmanuel Macron to act almost as a broker between Moscow and Kyiv, Karpovich replied that Paris' initiatives could hardly be trusted.

"True, Macron is trying to play the first fiddle in the European orchestra, but all his peacemaking efforts and other initiatives are incomplete. He remains a politician who cannot be trusted," the expert believes. "This is Macron's second presidential term. No matter how hard he may try to stay in the limelight, I think all his efforts will be in vain."

Karpovich recalled that mercenarism in France was punishable by law.

The presence of French mercenaries in the zone of the special military operation contradicts Paris' assurances that they allegedly do not take part in the Ukrainian conflict.

"The policy of double standards in the West has been applied for a long time. Therefore, in attempts to attain some political aims, including those related to inflicting a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia, they are ready to turn a blind eye on what is written in the legislation of France or other states," Karpovich said. "The West will stop at nothing in attempts to harm Russia."

French Ambassador to Moscow Pierre Levy, who was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry, has been told that the responsibility for the death of French nationals in Kharkov lies fully with official Paris, the Russian foreign ministry said.

"It was told to the ambassador that the blame for the death of his compatriots rests on official Paris, which is encouraging recruiters in the country to hire mercenaries to take part in the hostilities on the part of the Kiev regime," the ministry said.

"The waging of the 'proxy war' by the West, including France, and the steady increase in weapons supplies to the Kiev regime provoke an escalation of hostilities, lead to numerous civilian casualties and turn it (France) into an accomplice to the Kiev regime's war crimes," it said.

"We hope that the people of France will ultimately learn the truth about the actual scope of France’s involvement in the conflict and realize the responsibility for the death and suffering of people they will have to share with their government," the ministry stressed.

The diplomat was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry following the death of French mercenaries in Russia’s strike on a temporary deployment center for foreign militants in Kharkov.

The Russian defense ministry said earlier that Russian forces had dealt a pinpoint strike on a temporary deployment center for foreign militants in Kharkov. According to the ministry, most of the foreign mercenaries were French nationals. As a result of the strike, 60 militants were killed and more than 20 were wounded.

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