Ukraine Exposes Russian Global Recruitment of Over 28,000 Foreign Mercenaries

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (CHTPW), in collaboration with the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has launched a new information portal designed to expose Russia’s global system of recruiting over 28,000 foreign mercenaries for the war against Ukraine, the CHTPW reported on May 25.

According to the CHTPW, Moscow is increasingly targeting foreign citizens to replenish its military ranks, specifically focusing on labor migrants, the unemployed, and socially vulnerable populations from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

The agency stated that Russian recruiters regularly employ deception, psychological pressure, and financial manipulation to lure individuals into military service.

The scale of this international recruitment effort is massive. Through Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” project, authorities have identified over 28,000 foreign nationals who have signed contracts with the Russian Armed Forces. Of those recruited, the CHTPW reports that at least 5,149 have already been killed in combat.

Currently, hundreds of foreign mercenaries representing more than 48 different countries are being held in Ukrainian captivity as prisoners of war, the agency noted.

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The CHTPW emphasized that the newly launched website aims to warn potential victims about the realities of the Russian recruitment system, draw the attention of the international community to the exploitation of vulnerable populations, and facilitate the prosecution of those responsible for sending foreign nationals to die for the Kremlin’s interests.

The recruitment of foreign nationals extends heavily into Latin America, where Ukraine’s military intelligence had recently identified over 1,000 Cuban citizens contracted with the Russian military. According to reports, the actual number of Cuban recruits could range between 10,000 and 15,000. Ukrainian officials assess that these mercenaries do not represent a significant battlefield force but are instead utilized primarily for political messaging.

By incorporating foreign fighters, Moscow attempts to demonstrate to domestic and international audiences that its war effort maintains global support.

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