From time to time we hear claims from Russia, that foreign mercenaries have been killed in Ukraine. While there is little doubt the NATO sponsors try to find willing mercenaries from around the world, including Africa and South America, some have stronger ties to the NATO alliance than others. At other times there have been odd announcements in NATO countries that this or that soldier of theirs sadly died in a plane crash, shooting, or an accident. Sure that also happens, but when is it true and when is it a cover story for something else?
The purpose of this thread is to gather and discuss instances and find out if it is true that NATO soldiers are being killed in Ukraine. One reason that the NATO countries keep a low profile with what they doing is not only because of Russia, but more because of the possible backlash from their own population that will realize they have been taken for a ride in a big way for a very long time.
First of all, there are cases from the past scattered here and there in earlier SOTT articles and Forum posts. For example, in August 2023, there was a retired French general, who died on a lonely hike in the Pyrenees. In the same month, there were a group of US officers that died in a plane crash in Mexico. This was also the same days that Russia missiled a gathering of UA and Western partners in Vinnitsa in Ukraine. For these cases, we could dig up links to these posts and articles.
Then there is the present and what will happen from now on. One might even argue that the presence of NATO soldiers is already less secret, but Russia does not boast about what they achieve, and the West keeps fairly quiet. To make conclusions, some discussion and dissection of the published news items can be necessary. As an example here is a comment from a recent SOTT article: NATO countries already training troops in Ukraine - Estonian PM, which slightly edited reads:
2) The next is more elaborate, and might serve as a case study, based on which similar instances could be evaluated.
When Zakharova writes: "Some nations are already getting their trainers back. But they keep mum about that." she is probably saying it as it is. Just as small Estonian reveals one bit, so another small country can serve as an example of what might, after all, occasionally come out about "getting their trainers back."
As an initial disclaimer, there is no definitive evidence for the following interpretation, but it may still be illustrative and perhaps help to identify other similar announcements from other countries, if they occur, which can then be evaluated for the information they may reveal.
From the Danish Defense, there was if translated:
Notice also the expression: "The next of kin have been informed." How come it was privately arranged, when the family didn't know, but the Army did? Moreover, it was the Army that informed the next of kin.
However, the Army did not know too much, because "The circumstances surrounding the accident are still unclear. The defense has nothing further to add at this time."
Next, considering that it was parachuting, if it was not a pilot and not a hobby parachutist, the deceased might well have belonged to the Jaeger Corps, a group of elite soldiers, which here means that from the intake only 10 % of the applicants pass the course.
The Danish Wiki, for "Jægersoldat" writes if translated:
If this soldier really died while on a mission, then it is possible, that there are others, who also died. At least it is interesting that since the above statement from the Army is so general that if all next of kin have been paid to silence, and nobody knows who the others are, a little notice like the above would serve for x number of simultaneous instances. Isn't that interesting?
Finally, the coincidence in time between the statements from Kaja Kallas, Maria Zakharova and now this notice from the Danish Defence, coming within hours of each other, can hardly be overlooked. When the Danish Defence writes, "Danish soldier killed in the Netherlands" is one not allowed to ask: "Really?" Because, what are the odds?
The purpose of this thread is to gather and discuss instances and find out if it is true that NATO soldiers are being killed in Ukraine. One reason that the NATO countries keep a low profile with what they doing is not only because of Russia, but more because of the possible backlash from their own population that will realize they have been taken for a ride in a big way for a very long time.
First of all, there are cases from the past scattered here and there in earlier SOTT articles and Forum posts. For example, in August 2023, there was a retired French general, who died on a lonely hike in the Pyrenees. In the same month, there were a group of US officers that died in a plane crash in Mexico. This was also the same days that Russia missiled a gathering of UA and Western partners in Vinnitsa in Ukraine. For these cases, we could dig up links to these posts and articles.
Then there is the present and what will happen from now on. One might even argue that the presence of NATO soldiers is already less secret, but Russia does not boast about what they achieve, and the West keeps fairly quiet. To make conclusions, some discussion and dissection of the published news items can be necessary. As an example here is a comment from a recent SOTT article: NATO countries already training troops in Ukraine - Estonian PM, which slightly edited reads:
2) The next is more elaborate, and might serve as a case study, based on which similar instances could be evaluated.
When Zakharova writes: "Some nations are already getting their trainers back. But they keep mum about that." she is probably saying it as it is. Just as small Estonian reveals one bit, so another small country can serve as an example of what might, after all, occasionally come out about "getting their trainers back."
As an initial disclaimer, there is no definitive evidence for the following interpretation, but it may still be illustrative and perhaps help to identify other similar announcements from other countries, if they occur, which can then be evaluated for the information they may reveal.
From the Danish Defense, there was if translated:
Notice the wording, privately arranged trip, which corresponds to what Kaja Kallas said: "you know the country is at war and you go to a risk zone. So you take the risk".
Notice also the expression: "The next of kin have been informed." How come it was privately arranged, when the family didn't know, but the Army did? Moreover, it was the Army that informed the next of kin.
However, the Army did not know too much, because "The circumstances surrounding the accident are still unclear. The defense has nothing further to add at this time."
Next, considering that it was parachuting, if it was not a pilot and not a hobby parachutist, the deceased might well have belonged to the Jaeger Corps, a group of elite soldiers, which here means that from the intake only 10 % of the applicants pass the course.
The Danish Wiki, for "Jægersoldat" writes if translated:
The Danish Wiki for Jaeger Corps has for the same entry, if translated:
Given the above scenario, because we can't know for sure if the soldier did not operate alone, whether together with the same nationality or of another, and if we for the sake of an estimate, work with a killed-to-wounded rate of 1:10, then there ought to be at least a couple of others that are no longer functional as "trainers" of Ukrainian soldiers; who are either in hospital or have returned home.
If this soldier really died while on a mission, then it is possible, that there are others, who also died. At least it is interesting that since the above statement from the Army is so general that if all next of kin have been paid to silence, and nobody knows who the others are, a little notice like the above would serve for x number of simultaneous instances. Isn't that interesting?
Finally, the coincidence in time between the statements from Kaja Kallas, Maria Zakharova and now this notice from the Danish Defence, coming within hours of each other, can hardly be overlooked. When the Danish Defence writes, "Danish soldier killed in the Netherlands" is one not allowed to ask: "Really?" Because, what are the odds?
