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As the US says there is “no confirmation” that American mercenaries are operating in Ukraine, Iraq war veteran Michael Prysner told RT that private US armies have been covertly operating globally wherever there is “dirty work” needs to be done.

RT: Could US contractors indeed be operating in Ukraine?

Michael Prysner: Well, of course they could. There is no law in the world that the Pentagon recognizes or will follow for its own soldiers let alone its dirty little secret with its corporate hitmen it had.

I do know that mercenaries of this type, especially that have gone out of Blackwater, have been illegally operating in countries all around the world. We can assume that wherever there is dirty work to be done, where the US wants its hands clean and be able to say it has no connection to it, we can expect that private mercenaries could be there. Because it is part of a shift in US strategy over the last decade or more towards special operations on one hand and the private military contractors on the other.

RT: If this is the case, why would the Kiev government need to deploy them?

MP: The new government in Ukraine is very unpopular in large parts of the country and the uprisings that we are seeing all over are threatening the new rule of this semi-fascist government that is willing to sell off the entire country to the West.

So the crashing against these popular uprisings is all this new power has to be able to maintain its power. The US and the EU very much want to secure the results of their operation to bring Ukraine into their sphere of influence. Neo-cons like John Kerry and John McCain of course have already been pushing for arming these, largely dominated by right wing forces who have taken control, and of course we know them to be wanting to favor even with direct military intervention.

But direct military intervention creates all types of risks and problems for the administration. So short of a direct military intervention, they'll be able to exert the military force that they want with just a different type of a situation where they can revoke themselves from the responsibility.

RT: Should the authorities in Kiev and people in Ukraine be worried that a mercenary force is let lose in their country?

MP: Absolutely. First of all it is important to point out – where did these mercenaries come from? It is estimated 150 of these mercenaries are operating in Ukraine. These aren’t 150 regular soldiers, people who served in the US or other foreign militaries, just as rank and file soldiers like myself and then got their contracts end up.

These are soldiers who are coming out of the special operations forces of the US military and other militaries. Those who are highly trained in ambushes, in sabotage, in psychological operations. Really the most unique troops in the world are the once that are recruited up to these very lucrative positions at private sector. And not only do they come from these sectors of the military, but those who are in mercenary forces are known to be a very rare breed of ultra-violent individuals.

Myself, when I was in Iraq in 2003-2004, regular army soldiers hated the mercenaries that were there because they were known to be so reckless, just driving around, shooting people at random and really angering the population against them and everyone else who was there. And the history speaks for itself. Massacres like Nisour Square, situations where they used excessive force in response to an attack, situations where they were straight up sitting there murdering people that were just walking down the street. This is the conduct of the people there. Absolutely anyone who is in their area of operations should be very concerned.