Ukraine Captures 136 Foreign Fighters Recruited by Russia From 37 Countries

Ukraine has been actively informing foreign governments about the recruitment of their citizens into the Russian armed forces, using data on 136 mercenaries from 37 countries who have been captured by Ukrainian forces.

Bohdan Okhrymenko, head of the Secretariat of the Coordination Headquarters for Prisoner of War Affairs, shared this information during the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine Congress in Kyiv, as reported by Ukrinform on December 2.

“Currently, 136 individuals from 37 countries are in our custody. We have prepared video and documentary materials, which are being used in our communications with partners and embassies,” Okhrymenko stated.

He further explained that Ukraine is providing targeted information to the countries where the recruitment of their citizens into the Russian military is most prevalent.

“We are selectively sharing this information with those countries that have the highest numbers of their citizens being recruited into the Russian Armed Forces. This approach has shown positive results,” he added.

Okhrymenko also mentioned that further details would be disclosed in the future.

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War in Ukraine

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At the same time, Russia’s escalating manpower shortage is forcing Moscow to adopt increasingly aggressive and often deceptive tactics to recruit foreign nationals for combat in Ukraine.

These recruits come from regions such as Africa, South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Despite their varied backgrounds, they share a common experience: Russian recruiters promised them jobs, legal residency, or financial rewards, but instead sent them directly to the front lines.

Earlier, it was reported that Russia is utilizing Russian-language education programs in Asia and Africa to strengthen its political influence and spread propaganda, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, as reported on November 30.

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