Russia has recruited more than 18,000 foreigners to fight against Ukraine: Recruits from 128 countries, some forcibly sent to the front

Russia has recruited more than 18,000 foreigners from 128 different countries to fight against Ukraine. According to Ukraine, the fighters are mainly attracted by financial compensation, but some are forced to join the war.

According to Ukrainian Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, the recruitment network was fully activated in 2023, when Russia was looking for ways to replenish its army.

This was reported by Ukrainska Pravda. Initially, there were hundreds of contracts per month, but over time, the number increased to thousands. Most foreign recruits come from South and East Asia, Africa, and the former Soviet countries.

Until recently, one of the largest sources for the Russian army was Nepal. In 2023 and 2024, nearly a thousand Nepalese citizens joined the Russian forces.

The Ukrainian brigadier general added that Ukraine had managed to significantly slow down Russian international recruitment activities thanks to the work of the Coordination Command, the Ukrainian military intelligence service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and members of the Ukrainian parliament.

Thanks to these moves, the recruitment of Nepalese fighters has almost completely stopped this year.

In contrast, North Korea’s involvement is increasing. In April this year, Kim Jong-un, leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, said he had sent his soldiers to Russia on the basis of a bilateral agreement on comprehensive strategic partnership signed last year with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The validity of the agreement is also confirmed by the fact that Ukraine is currently holding prisoners of war from 37 countries who fought on the side of Russia. According to Usov, Moscow has shown virtually no interest in exchanging prisoners.

“Russia has not asked us to exchange any foreign citizens except for North Korean citizens,” he said.