French Reporter Returning From Ukraine Says Americans Are 'In Charge' of The War

French reporter returning from Ukraine "Americans are directly in charge of the war on the ground." pic.twitter.com/m5yr7far6N

— no one (@antiwar_soldier) April 11, 2022

Elite special forces from the UK and the US have been present in Ukraine since the beginning of hostilities with Russia in late February, a source in the French intelligence community reportedly told Le Figaro.

The claim was reported by the newspaper's senior international correspondent Georges Malbrunot on Saturday, the day when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made his surprise visit to Kiev. The British leader was reportedly surrounded by guards from the elite SAS force, though this claim was not officially confirmed.

SAS units "have been present in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, as did [sic] the American Deltas", Malbrunot tweeted citing a French intelligence source. He added that according to the source Russia was well aware of the "secret war" waged against its troops by foreign commandos.

The UK and the US have been among the most active military supporters of Kiev. Johnson reportedly personally urged his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to keep on fighting against Russia and not settle for peace until better terms are offered.

Western pro-fighting consensus was apparently confirmed last week by EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, who said on Saturday that the "war will be won on the battlefield" as he too was visiting Kiev.

British media earlier reported that dozens of "retired" SAS soldiers had gone or planned to go to Ukraine to contribute their expertise in reconnaissance and anti-tank warfare to Kiev's cause. Their services were allegedly paid for by "a country in Europe, still to be named, via a private military company" rather than by the British government, according to The Daily Mirror.

The Russian military reported action against what it described as "mercenaries" fighting for Ukraine on several occasions. One of the recent instances was on Saturday, just as Johnson and Borell were in Kiev.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced Kiev attempted to use a civilian ship in its latest failed attempt to evacuate high-value personnel from the port city of Mariupol, which saw some of the most intensive fighting during the conflict. The individuals intended for evacuation were identified as leaders of the ultranationalist Azov battalion and foreign mercenaries. There are unconfirmed reports that hundreds of foreign nationals could be blocked in Mariupol along with several thousand Azov troops.

The US and the UK have publicly stated they had no plans to involve their troops in the fighting in Ukraine. Both are major suppliers of arms to Kiev and were training soldiers in Ukraine before the Russian offensive. The experts were reported pulled out of the country in the run-up to the hostilities.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks to Ukrainian soldiers training on switchblade drones in Biloxi, Mississippi before they return today to defend their country pic.twitter.com/awUaoySgeH

— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) April 10, 2022