---
title: "Kremlin says its troops will 'destroy' foreigners fighting for Kyiv"
description: "The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russian troops were constantly hearing foreign languages spoken by those fighting for Ukraine on the front line, and promised that such fighters would be \"destroyed\"."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-10-28-kremlin-says-its-troops-will-destroy-foreigners-fighting-for-kyiv/"
published: "2025-10-28T13:01:02"
updated: "2025-10-28T13:16:58"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 125
---

# Kremlin says its troops will 'destroy' foreigners fighting for Kyiv

> The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russian troops were constantly hearing foreign languages spoken by those fighting for Ukraine on the front line, and promised that such fighters would be "destroyed".

By Reuters · Published 28 October 2025, 15:01 SAST · Updated 28 October 2025, 15:16 SAST

## Key points
- In a classic case of "I heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend," Russia claims NATO's linguistic tourists are eavesdropping on the front lines, while NATO insists its soldiers are still enjoying their vacation back home.
- Russia claims NATO personnel are active in Ukraine, citing intercepted foreign languages at the front lines.
- NATO denies deploying troops, affirming support for Ukraine without direct military involvement.
- U.S. media reports suggest significant intelligence presence from U.S. and European agencies in Ukraine.
- Kremlin warns of ongoing military actions against foreign forces, with Peskov emphasizing their commitment to operations.

## Content

Russia has long said that NATO military personnel have been present in Ukraine and that its eavesdropping services have picked up English and French being spoken repeatedly at the front lines.

The U.S.-led NATO military alliance says it supports Ukraine but has not deployed soldiers there. U.S. media reports indicate that U.S. and leading European intelligence agencies have a significant presence in Ukraine.

"Our military hears foreign speech, they constantly hear foreign languages at the front," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about claims that France was preparing to deploy some soldiers to Ukraine.

"So, these foreigners are there, we are destroying them. Our military will continue to do their job."

(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)