Russia wants to recruit further 18,500 foreigners for war against Ukraine, - CCD
Russia plans to recruit at least 18,500 foreigners to fight in the war against Ukraine by the end of 2026.
This is reported by Censor.NET, citing the Centre for Countering Disinformation.
Recruitment takes place through embassies and ‘Russian Houses’
According to the Centre for Countering Disinformation, the recruitment of foreign nationals takes place both within Russia and abroad.
To this end, they make use of a network of Russian embassies, the so-called ‘Russkie Domy’, as well as private intermediaries and recruiters.
Ukrainian intelligence has already identified more than 28,000 foreigners who have joined the Russian army, as well as more than 14,000 soldiers from North Korea.
Most of the mercenaries come from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan
Russia recruited the largest number of foreigners in Uzbekistan, 4,955 people.
Next come:
- Tajikistan – 3,321;
- Belarus – 2,871;
- Kazakhstan – 2,420;
- Kyrgyzstan – 1395.
Other countries whose citizens are fighting on the side of the Russian Federation include Armenia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Egypt, Kenya, Cameroon, Cuba, Colombia, India, and Bangladesh.
Thousands have already died
The Centre for Countering Disinformation notes that many foreigners are lured by promises of high salaries, legalisation of their stay in Russia or social benefits.
However, once they have signed their contracts, they often find themselves on the front line without proper training or the necessary documents.
According to the "I Want to Live" project, 5,149 foreign nationals who fought on Russia’s side have been identified since the start of the full-scale war.
A further 700 foreign soldiers have been taken prisoner by Ukraine.
The highest number of fatalities was recorded among Uzbek nationals – 481. Next came Kazakhstan (460), Tajikistan (444), Belarus (440), Sri Lanka (279) and Armenia (204).
It is also reported that more than 2,251 North Korean soldiers may have been killed.
