Russia plans to recruit 18,500 foreign nationals into its troops this year

Russia plans to recruit a record number of 18,500 foreign nationals into its army in 2026, Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, Secretary of the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said during the presentation of the report Foreign Fighters in the Russian Army: How to Stop the Global Recruitment Scheme.

Source: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) on Facebook

Details: Usov said this is an important resource for Russia amid heavy losses among its own population in the war against Ukraine.

Quote: "More than 10,000 recruits from Central Asia are fighting in the ranks of the Russian occupation army, around 1,800 from South Asia, upwards of 1,700 from Africa and, by various estimates, over 1,000 from Latin America, as well as around 14,000 from North Korea."

More details: Usov said that the recruitment of foreign nationals into the Russian Armed Forces around the world is strengthening transnational human trafficking networks and therefore poses a challenge to global security.

He stressed that responsibility for the repercussions of the uncontrolled and illegal recruitment of foreign nationals through coercion and deception both in Russia and in countries around the world lies entirely with the Kremlin.

Usov said available data shows that at least 5,149 foreign mercenaries in the Russian troops had been killed in so-called meat-grinder assaults in the war against Ukraine.

Quote: "Some were lucky – they ended up in Ukrainian captivity. Today, the Coordination Headquarters is dealing with mercenaries from 48 countries. Among the largest groups are fighters from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus."

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