Russia decides not to extradite foreign nationals who fought against Ukraine

The State Duma, the lower chamber of Russia's parliament, has passed a bill banning the extradition of foreign nationals who served in the Russian armed forces in the war against Ukraine.

Source: Russian media outlet Interfax

Quote: "The law provides for the refusal to extradite a person to a foreign state for criminal prosecution or to enforce a verdict in cases where such requests concern a foreign citizen or stateless person who… has taken part in hostilities as a member of the Armed Forces of Russia or other military formations."

Background:

• The Russians actively recruit foreign nationals into the ranks of their armed forces.
• There are reports that hundreds of citizens have been recruited from Turkmenistan and Syria and other Middle Eastern countries.
• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha recently said that over 1,700 mercenaries from 36 African countries are fighting in the Russian armed forces against Ukraine.
• In 2025, Reuters reported that more than 100 Chinese nationals are fighting for Russia against Ukraine, although they are said not to have direct links to the Chinese government.

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