Ukraine has disrupted recruitment of foreigners into Russian army in six countries and reduced it in 39, — Coordination Headquarters
Between 2025 and 2026, Ukraine halted Russian recruitment in six countries and significantly reduced its scale in another 39 countries around the world.
According to Censor.NET, citing a report on liga.net, this was announced by Dmytro Usov, secretary of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, during the presentation of the report "Combatants, Mercenaries, or Victims of Human Trafficking? How Russia exploits foreign fighters in the war against Ukraine."
Russia is recruiting foreigners to fight in the war in order to offset its own losses and bolster its military. Countering this recruitment helps to deplete its resources and influence the course of the war.
From which countries does Russia recruit soldiers?
According to Usov, the following countries have succeeded in significantly reducing the recruitment of foreigners for military service:
- Cuba,
- Nepal,
- Sri Lanka,
- Egypt,
- India,
- Serbia,
- Syria and
- Pakistan.
At the same time, there is a countertrend—a rise in recruitment in Central Asian and post-Soviet countries, specifically in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Moldova, China, and Turkmenistan.
How many foreigners have joined the Russian Armed Forces?
As of now, Ukraine has identified more than 28,000 foreigners who have joined the Russian Armed Forces. According to Usov, these are only confirmed cases with specific personal data, and the actual number could be 25–30% higher.
In total, the ranks of the Russian armed forces include citizens from 136 countries, not counting the North Korean regular army, which numbers over 14,100 personnel.
Some of them are deployed in so-called "meat assaults," where they serve as "openers" (a term used in the Russian army to refer to foreigners)—that is, they are the first to identify the positions of Ukrainian forces
Russia actively employs foreign nationals not only in combat operations but also in enterprises within the military-industrial complex. The largest number of such individuals comes from India, Nepal, and Egypt.
What is the situation as of 2026?
In addition, in 2026, Russia plans to sign contracts with another 18,500 foreigners, indicating that the scale of recruitment is growing. To counter this scheme, Ukraine is preparing to launch a new English-language website, Stop Russian Recruitment, as part of the "I Want to Live" project.
Citizens of 48 countries who fought on the side of Russia are currently being held captive in Ukraine. According to Usov, there are hundreds of foreign prisoners, not just dozens.
Previous reports indicated that 27,407 foreign nationals from 135 countries had been recruited by Russia to fight in the war against Ukraine.
