Ukrainian command secretly disbanded International Legion, - Le Monde
The Ukrainian military command has decided to disband the International Legion, which was created at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, and has called on foreign volunteers to join the regular army's assault units.
This was reported by Le Monde, as relayed by Censor.NET.
According to the publication, the decision to disband the legion was made on 31 December 2025. The second battalion appealed this decision and received a temporary postponement until 15 February, but its fighters have already been transferred to the 253rd Assault Regiment of the 129th Territorial Defence Brigade.
As noted, the legionnaires learned about the upcoming transfer on 1 November 2025, without any explanation from the command. According to them, after that, the conditions of service deteriorated sharply: full-fledged training, communication and understanding of future prospects disappeared, which led to demoralisation and an outflow of personnel.
Foreign volunteers also express concern about possible transfers to units where commanders do not speak English. In their opinion, this complicates management and creates additional security risks during combat operations.
The legion's command and military experts call the disbandment of the unit a "waste of resources" because the legionnaires had special training, well-established linguistic and tactical interaction, and were a unique element in the structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
At the same time, some foreign fighters have already announced their intention to terminate their contracts due to forced transfers. The total number of the International Legion has never exceeded 20,000, and at the beginning of 2025, it consisted of four battalions with approximately 400-600 soldiers.
