Editing Mercenary (section)

====19th–21st centuries====
During the South American wars of independence from Spain, the [[British Legions]] from 1817 onward fought for General [[Simón Bolívar]].<ref name="Rodriguez">{{cite book |last1=Rodriguez |first1=Moises Enrique |title=Freedom's Mercenaries: Northern South America |date=2006 |publisher=Hamilton Books |location=Lantham |isbn=0761834370 |page=14}}</ref> Some of the British Legionaries were liberal idealists who went to South America to fight in a war for freedom, but others were the more classic mercenaries, mostly unemployed veterans of the Napoleonic wars, who fought for money. In South America, especially in [[Colombia]], the men of the British Legions are remembered as heroes for their crucial role in helping end Spanish rule.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rodriguez |first1=Moises Enrique |title=Freedom's Mercenaries: Northern South America |date=2006 |publisher=Hamilton Books |location=Lantham |isbn=0761834370 |pages=1–2}}</ref> During the [[First Carlist War]], the British government suspended the Foreign Enlistment Act to allow the recruitment of a quasi-official [[British Auxiliary Legion]] under [[George de Lacy Evans]], which went to Spain to fight for Queen Isabel II against the followers of Don Carlos, the pretender to the Spanish throne.

The [[Atholl Highlanders]], a private Scottish infantry regiment of the [[Duke of Atholl]], was formed in 1839 purely for ceremonial purposes. It was granted official regimental status by [[Queen Victoria]] in 1845 and is the only remaining legal private army in Europe.{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}}

Turkey and [[Azerbaijan]] deployed [[Syrian]] mercenaries during the [[2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://asiatimes.com/2020/10/turkey-deploys-syrian-mercenaries-to-karabakh-war/ |title=Turkey deploys Syrian mercenaries to Karabakh war |website=Asia Times |date=7 October 2020|access-date=2 February 2021|archive-date=12 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212010842/https://asiatimes.com/2020/10/turkey-deploys-syrian-mercenaries-to-karabakh-war/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Syrian mercenaries are being deployed by Russia, with expected numbers ranging from hundreds to up to 40,000 fighters ultimately expected to take part.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/some-syrian-veterans-ready-ukraine-fight-commanders-say-2022-03-20/|date=26 March 2022|title=Some Syrian veterans ready for Ukraine fight, commanders say |website=Reuters |last1=Al-Khalidi|first1=Suleiman|access-date=27 March 2022|archive-date=27 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327130414/https://www.reuters.com/world/some-syrian-veterans-ready-ukraine-fight-commanders-say-2022-03-20/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-says-volunteers-welcome-help-fight-against-ukrainian-forces-2022-03-11/ |date=26 March 2022 |title=Putin says Russia to use Middle East volunteer fighters |website=Reuters |last1=Faulconbridge|first1=Guy|access-date=27 March 2022|archive-date=27 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327043657/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-says-volunteers-welcome-help-fight-against-ukrainian-forces-2022-03-11/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |website=Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/international/article-701597 |date=26 March 2022|title=Syria to supply Russia with 40,000 mercenaries – Ukrainian Defense Min|access-date=27 March 2022|archive-date=27 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327024739/https://www.jpost.com/international/article-701597|url-status=live}}</ref> Wagner mercenaries are active in the [[Syrian civil war]] and [[Murder of Yevgeny Nuzhin#Legacy|sledgehammered a Syrian man]] to death.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Grisly Cult of the Wagner Group's Sledgehammer|url=https://theintercept.com/2023/02/02/wagner-group-violence-sledgehammer/|work= The Intercept|date=2 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2019/11/20/82805-golovorezy-21|title=Головорезы (21+)|date=20 November 2019|website=Новая газета – Novayagazeta.ru}}</ref><ref name="filmed">{{cite web |date=21 November 2019 |title=Man who filmed beheading of Syrian identified as Russian mercenary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/21/man-filmed-killing-torture-syrian-identified-russian-mercenary-wagner |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> On 8 November 2024, US President [[Joe Biden]] allowed American Private Military Contractors to deploy to Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/25/politics/biden-administration-american-military-contractors-ukraine/index.html|title=Biden administration moving towards allowing American military contractors to deploy to Ukraine &#124; CNN Politics|first=Natasha Bertrand, Oren|last=Liebermann|date=25 June 2024|website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/08/biden-allows-u-s-military-contractors-into-ukraine-00188537|title=Biden allows US military contractors into Ukraine|first=Jack|last=Detsch|date=8 November 2024|website=POLITICO}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-us-contractors-weapons-maintenance/33195395.html|title=Pentagon To Allow U.S. Defense Contractors To Maintain Weapons In Ukraine, Reports Say|first=RFE/RL's Ukrainian|last=Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://meduza.io/en/news/2024/11/08/biden-lifts-ban-on-u-s-military-contractors-in-ukraine-but-not-for-combat|title=Biden lifts ban on U.S. military contractors in Ukraine, but not for combat|website=Meduza}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/11/11/bcfo-n11.html|title=White House sends military contractors to Ukraine|date=11 November 2024|website=World Socialist Web Site}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.turkiyetoday.com/world/pentagon-approves-deployment-of-us-defense-contractors-to-ukraine-76851/|title=Pentagon approves deployment of US defense contractors to Ukraine - Türkiye Today}}</ref> Per the [[United States Department of Defense]], these contractors will help Ukraine repair and maintain military equipment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/08/politics/biden-administration-american-military-contractors-deploy-ukraine/index.html|title=Biden administration to allow American military contractors to deploy to Ukraine for first time since Russia’s invasion &#124; CNN Politics|first=Natasha Bertrand, Haley Britzky, Oren|last=Liebermann|date=8 November 2024|website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/9/pentagon-allows-us-military-contractors-to-fix-weapons-in-ukraine|title=Pentagon allows US military contractors to fix weapons in Ukraine|website=Al Jazeera}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20241108-us-greenlights-deployment-of-military-contractors-to-fix-weapons-in-ukraine|title=US greenlights deployment of military contractors to fix weapons in Ukraine|date=8 November 2024|website=France 24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/pentagon-lifts-ban-contractors-inside-ukraine-fix-us-supplied-weapons-2024-11-08/|title=Exclusive: Pentagon lifts ban on contractors fixing U.S.-supplied weapons in Ukraine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2024/11/09/world-news/us-lifts-ban-on-contractors-repairing-weapons-in-ukraine/|title=US lifts ban on contractors repairing weapons in Ukraine|first=Katherine|last=Donlevy|date=9 November 2024}}</ref>