Russia has recruited 18,000 foreign nationals from 128 countries to fight against Ukraine

At least 18,000 foreign nationals from 128 countries and unrecognised territories have fought or continue to fight within Russia's Armed Forces in the war against Ukraine; 3,388 of them have been killed.

Source: Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War on Telegram

Details: Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, Secretary of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said at the international Crimea Global conference that these 18,000 individuals are those "whose names are known with certainty" to Ukraine.

He recalled that, starting in 2023, Russia has created an extensive global recruitment network, and through this, he said, the Russians are attempting to compensate for the heavy losses suffered by their armed forces.

Usov said the number of contracts signed each month by foreign citizens with the Russian Armed Forces was initially in the hundreds, but later increased to thousands.

He explained that "the main motive for most of these mercenaries is financial gain", but stressed that "many people have ended up in the Russian army through fraud or coercion".

Usov added that Ukraine is holding prisoners of war from 37 countries who fought for Russia and noted that "the Russian Federation has no interest in bringing citizens of other states back from captivity in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners".

"Russia has not requested the exchange of a single foreign national, apart from citizens of North Korea," he said.

Usov promised that the Coordination Headquarters is doing everything necessary to bring all Ukrainian POWs home from Russian prisons and torture chambers as quickly as possible.

He also noted that Ukraine has been able to significantly slow down Russia's international recruitment efforts thanks to coordinated work by the Coordination Headquarters, Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry and members of parliament.

Quote: "In 2023-2024, almost 1,000 Nepalese citizens signed contracts with the Russian army. In 2025, as of 1 October, only one person from that country has joined Russia's forces."

Background:

• In autumn 2024, it was reported that North Korean soldiers were fighting in Ukraine, and that several thousand more were undergoing training in Russia and were likely to be deployed to the war.
• In November 2024, the United States confirmed that North Korean forces were taking part in combat operations in Russia's Kursk Oblast, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk Oblast had already suffered losses.
• In December 2024, Zelenskyy reported that around 12,000 North Korean soldiers had been deployed to Russia's Kursk Oblast.
• It was not until April 2025 that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed that he had indeed sent troops to Russia to fight against Ukraine, saying this was in line with the provisions of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty between North Korea and Russia.
• In June 2025, North Korean state-run media released footage of Kim Jong Un mourning his soldiers who were reported to have been killed in Russia's war against Ukraine.
• In August, the North Korean dictator conferred awards on soldiers and commanders from his military who fought for Russia in Kursk Oblast and met with the families of those killed.
• In October, North Korean state news agency KCNA reported that Kim Jong Un plans to build a museum in Pyongyang in honour of the soldiers of the Korean People's Army who took part in Russia's war against Ukraine.

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