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Russia’s Foreign Fighter Army Grows to Nearly 46,000 Recruits From 151 Countries
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Russia’s Defense Ministry has signed military contracts with nearly 46,000 foreign nationals from 151 countries, as Moscow continues to expand its recruitment of foreign fighters for its war against Ukraine.
The figures were disclosed by Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, secretary of Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, during the fourth international conference Crimea Global: Understanding Ukraine Through the South, according to a Ukrinform correspondent on October 19.
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“At the previous conference, we reported that 28,000 foreigners from 138 countries had been mobilized or recruited into the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Today, that figure has risen to nearly 46,000 foreigners who have signed contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry, representing 151 countries,” Usov said.
According to the official, Ukrainian authorities have obtained personal information on every foreign national who signed a contract with Russia’s Defense Ministry, including their military rank, identification tag, and contract signing date.
Usov noted that Russia’s recruitment of foreign nationals has increased significantly since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. While only 94 contracts were recorded in 2022, Moscow has since expanded its recruitment campaign considerably.
For 2026, the Russian Defense Ministry reportedly set a target of recruiting 18,500 foreign nationals, of whom 16,168 have already signed contracts. Usov suggested that Russia could meet or exceed its recruitment target if the current pace continues.
The countries contributing to the largest increases in foreign recruitment include Indonesia, Peru, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Chad, the Philippines, Congo, Panama, Ecuador, and Zimbabwe.
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian defense and security forces have captured foreign nationals from 59 countries who were fighting on Russia’s side. Surveys conducted by the Coordination Headquarters found that nearly 50% of foreign prisoners of war were aware they were traveling to Ukraine to fight against Ukrainian military personnel and civilians.
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Meanwhile, approximately 47% said they had signed contracts with the Russian military in the hope of obtaining Russian citizenship.
The survey also revealed that 48.8% of foreign prisoners of war were wounded when captured, while nearly 79% expressed a preference for returning to Russia rather than their countries of citizenship.
According to Usov, some prisoners wanted to return to Russia to receive promised payments for signing military contracts and completing their service, as well as associated benefits.
Additionally, 41% of respondents reported signing their contracts through Russian military enlistment offices and recruitment centers.
The findings follow earlier warnings from Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service about Russia’s efforts to pressure foreign nationals into joining its armed forces. On March 24, the intelligence agency reported that Moscow had established a recruitment mechanism targeting migrants living in Russia without citizenship, using legal and administrative restrictions to encourage them to sign military contracts.
According to the agency, the approach allows Russian authorities to circumvent opposition from countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America that officially reject the recruitment of their citizens into foreign armed forces.
By making it increasingly difficult for migrants to remain in Russia without citizenship, Moscow effectively presents military service as one of the few available routes to obtaining legal residency and a Russian passport.
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-bd4f3bab1c9a2691bdd3f19a41246909.jpg "Recruits are inducted into Ukraine’s 144th Special Operations Center on June 29, 2025, in Ukraine.")
