Representatives from 55 countries are currently serving in the Russian occupation army
Every tenth prisoner of war captured on the front line turned out to be a citizen of another country. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Russian Federation has recruited foreigners from 55 states to participate in hostilities. This was reported by Ukrinform citing Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine notes that Moscow continues the practice of recruiting foreign nationals for the war, despite official propaganda claiming that NATO forces are present on the side of Ukraine. As of September 2026, captives include representatives from 50 nations, highlighting the scale of foreign involvement in occupation troops.
The scale of recruitment
According to the “I Want to Live” project, nearly 29,000 foreign citizens have signed contracts with the Russian army since 2022. The Russian Ministry of Defence planned to recruit another 18,500 mercenaries throughout 2026. Recruiters typically target residents of impoverished countries with promises of high pay, yet after signing, these individuals are sent to the most dangerous front-line sectors for infantry assaults.
Changing recruitment geography
Facing international pressure and government interventions, Russia was forced to halt recruitment in 39 countries, including China, India, Egypt, and Pakistan. However, Moscow quickly pivoted to new regions, intensifying recruitment activities across South America, Central Asia, and Africa.
2026 prisoner dynamics
Data for the first nine months of 2026 shows that the number of captured foreign nationals has already surpassed the total for the entire year of 2025. Among those captured are citizens of Argentina, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Honduras, Vietnam, and Mongolia. Ukraine urges the international community to strengthen countermeasures against Russian recruitment networks and identify the intermediaries facilitating the entry of foreign citizens into the war against the state.
Photo: Ukrinform
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