Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with international counterparts on former Afghan special forces being recruited by the Russian military.

We are aware of media reports on Russia's recruitment of former Afghan forces, possibly for their deployment as mercenary forces in the Ukraine conflict. As Russia continues to experience battlefield setbacks in Ukraine, it has exposed the limitations of using large numbers of inexperienced and poorly equipped conscripts. As a result the Kremlin is increasingly prepared to deploy mercenary forces. We continue to work closely with our international partners to counter Russian malign activity, including its use of mercenaries, and respond to actions that undermine the rules based international system.