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A Ukrainian Public Relations Expert, Artem Kovalenko, has said that foreign mercenaries are fighting against Ukraine at the instance of Russia.
In an op-ed authored in Kyiv, Ukraine, Artem stated that Russia is recruiting thousands of low-income citizens in African countries, Asia and Cuba and sending them to Ukraine on false pretences to take part in combat operations alongside Russian forces.
He disclosed that as of early 2026, at least 28,000 foreign nationals have fought or continue to fight within the ranks of the army of the Russian Federation.
Artem also said the figures were not the total number of foreigners who have signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense, but only those whose identities were definitively known.
“Since the beginning of 2022, the number of foreigners recruited by Russia to participate in the war has been steadily increasing. The dynamics of contract signings among ‘mercenaries’ are as follows: in 2023, 3.8 thousand people signed contracts with the Russian Armed Forces; in 2024, this figure rose to 8.3 thousand; and in 2025, it reached 13.9 thousand.
“At the same time, there is a steady upward trend in the number of foreign nationals surrendering to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Specifically, five times more foreigners surrendered in 2024 compared to 2023. In 2025, the number of captured foreigners was 2.5 times higher than the figures for 2022, 2023, and 2024 combined.
“The countries with the highest number of citizens fighting within the Russian Armed Forces are Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. The situation is identical among prisoners of war.”
Artem further said according to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, at least 2.9 thousand citizens of African countries have signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense.
“At least 486 of them have already been killed. A comprehensive list of names and countries of origin for these African representatives was published by official information portal ‘Stop Russian Recruiters’ (https://stoprussianrecruiters.org/news/485-africans-killed-russian-army-ukraine-war-confirmed).
“Dozens of citizens from 16 African nations are currently held in Ukraine as prisoners of war.
“Mercenaries are foreigners and citizens of other states.
Some of them have managed to obtain a Russian passport while remaining citizens of their home countries. While some signed contracts specifically to acquire Russian citizenship, others became servicemen shortly after obtaining it, as it is now impossible to become a Russian citizen without a contract with the Russian Armed Forces. Concurrently, even after naturalization, they continue to be tracked separately in the Russian military registration system as foreign nationals.
“At the same time, citizens of the DPRK are not servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces or mercenaries of private military companies. They remain active-duty servicemen of the DPRK Armed Forces and participate in the war against Ukraine as part of their own country’s armed forces, rather than Russia’s,” he added.
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The Ukrainian Public Relations Expert further said since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, several foreign nationals who fought within Russian illegal armed groups, specifically the Wagner and Redut PMCs, have been captured and convicted under the charge of mercenaryism.
“At the same time, not all foreigners captured in Ukraine are prosecuted as mercenaries.
“Ukraine is a state governed by the rule of law that adheres to the principles of humanitarian law and the provisions of the Third Geneva Convention. Unlike Russia, Ukraine does not use prisoners of war as an instrument of propaganda or intimidation.
“Those foreigners who officially joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation – with a contract, uniform, and subordination to command – cannot be considered mercenaries under international humanitarian law and punished for it.
“In the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war, the Kremlin is suffering colossal human casualties, and an ever-increasing number of personnel is required to replenish them. Fearing the announcement of another mobilization drive, Moscow is effectively ‘buying’ soldiers – both among the local population and from abroad.
“The main problem for most foreign ‘mercenaries’ is that they do not speak the Russian language. This language barrier creates severe difficulties for those who are recruited: such servicemen receive extremely superficial training, are quickly deployed to the front lines, and often die in battle.”
Artem also said for Russia, the mercenaries were the ideal soldiers as their death or disappearance caused no public outcry within the country.
“In most cases, their families do not even receive the proper payouts in the event of their death.
“What should foreigners do if they are already in the Russian military but don’t want to fight?
“There are two ways to save your life: to desert or to surrender. Foreigners, just like Russian citizens, can use the ‘I Want to Live’ project – by reaching out via messengers or phone to safely surrender to Ukrainian forces. To facilitate this, the ‘I Want to Live’ website (www.hochuzhit.com) is available in English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.
“Relatives of the missing can fill out an application in the project’s Telegram-bot: @HOCHU_ZHIT_BOT. If their loved one is in Ukrainian custody or their body has been found, the chatbot will notify them. The verification process takes no more than 7 days.
“Governments around the world must protect their citizens and not allow the Putin regime to use them as pawns in a war of aggression. It is vital to actively counter Russia’s recruitment networks, raise awareness among citizens visiting Russia, and detain and prosecute those who have served as mercenaries in the Russian military. For the Kremlin, all these people are merely cheap, expendable resources. Russia has enough oil and gas revenues to continue buying assault troops, so if left unchecked, they will only accelerate their recruitment efforts,” Artem concluded.
