Blackwater Mercenaries Spotted in East Ukraine

Rebel authorities in East Ukraine claimed Tuesday that 70 mercenaries from Academi – formerly known as Blackwater – were spotted in the village of Volnovakha. 

The private military company was brought into further disrepute earlier this month when four ex-Blackwater guards were sentenced for the massacre of unarmed civilians killed in Baghdad.

“In the territory controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces, namely, in Volnovakha, the presence of 70 representatives of the private military company Academi has been revealed,” explained Eduard Basurin, Defense Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

According to Basurin, the village is at a very close range to the contact line between both conflicting parties, which would violate point 10 of the Minsk peace agreement. This point calls on the withdrawal of illegal armed groups and mercenaries.

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Donetsk authorities are calling on international organizations and monitors on the ground to investigate the incident.

Reports of U.S. mercenaries in Ukraine are not new. In May 2014, German media outlets reported an alleged deployment of between 300 and 400 Academi mercenaries to Ukraine. However, the company denied those claims calling them “completely false.”

In December the same year, Academi confirmed it was ready to start training a Ukrainian battalion for street fighting. According to media reports, the company's training program lasted from January to February 2015. Blackwater – now Academi – is notoriously known for its role in the wars of Afghanistan and Iraq, alongside the U.S. military.

The White House has repeatedly denied the presence of private U.S. military companies in Ukraine.