Russia has involved over 18,000 foreigners from 128 countries in its war against Ukraine, Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, Secretary of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (CHTPW), reported.
"Ukraine has verified the names of more than 18,000 foreigners from 128 countries and unrecognized territories who have fought or continue to fight as part of the Russian armed forces. At least 3,388 of them have been killed. Ukraine currently holds prisoners from 37 countries who fought on the side of the occupiers," he said during the international Crimea Global conference, according to the Coordination Headquarters’ press service on Telegram.
According to Usov, since 2023 Russia has created an extensive network of recruiters worldwide, attempting to compensate for significant losses in its army. As a result, the number of contracts signed by foreigners with the Russian armed forces increased monthly — first to hundreds, then to thousands.
For most of these mercenaries, the primary motivation is financial gain. However, many were forced into or deceived into joining the Russian army.
At the same time, thanks to coordinated efforts by the Coordination Headquarters, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and members of parliament, Ukraine has recently been able to significantly reduce the pace of Russia’s international recruitment.
Usov cited effective cooperation with the government of Nepal as an example:
"In 2023–2024, nearly 1,000 Nepali citizens signed contracts with the Russian army. By October 1, 2025, only one person from this country joined the Russian forces."
Additionally, Usov emphasized that Russia is not interested in returning foreign citizens from captivity in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners: "Russia has not requested the exchange of any foreign citizen except North Korean nationals. Meanwhile, the Coordination Headquarters is working to fulfill the order of President Volodymyr Zelensky — to return all our military personnel and civilians from Russian prisons and torture chambers as quickly as possible."
