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TheRusso-Ukrainian war has seenforeign volunteers participate on both sides of the conflict. Most foreign fighters joined the conflict during one of two waves. The first wave happened from 2014 to 2019 during thewar in Donbas and consisted of approximately 17,241 foreign fighters.[a] The second wave is considered by researchers to have been much larger and began in 2022 after theRussian invasion of Ukraine. The invasion saw people of various nationalities enlist, with Ukraine forming a foreign legion and Russia recruiting mercenaries.
The foreign fighter movement in 2014 was largely short-lived, with researcher Kacper Rekawek writing, "fighters arrived throughout the summer of 2014, and most of them were gone from Ukraine at some point in 2015, although some returned later, with a small group settling in Ukraine permanently."[3] By the end of 2015, Rekawek notes, "both sides took steps to professionalise their forces and incorporate the bottom-up organised volunteer battalions into e.g. the Ukrainian National Guard or, in the case of the 'separatists,' into the 'army corps.' This effectively meant an end to foreign fighter recruitment for this conflict and very few (new) foreigners joined either side after the end of 2015."[3]
Prior to its open involvement in 2022, especially during the first peak of the war in Donbas between 2014 and 2015, Russia had previously tried to deny any formal intervention in Ukraine and portrayed Russian forces in the country as either part of local forces[20] or Russian citizens voluntarily fighting in the country.[21][22] These units have been referred as "little green men" by Western and Ukrainian media and as "polite people" by Russian media.[23] The Russian government-supportedprivate military companyWagner Group, largely composed of former Soviet, Eastern European and Syrian soldiers, is deployed in Ukraine to secure Russian interests[vague] while maintaining the deniability of formal Russian involvement.[24]
Most foreign fighters from countries outside the former Soviet Union are fromEurope. According to a report by Polish security expert Kacper Rękawek for thePolish Institute of International Affairs published in 2015, around a hundred Germans, a hundred Serbs, and thirty Hungarians are fighting for pro-Russian forces in Donbas.[32]
In December 2023, the government ofNepal revealed that six of its citizens had been killed in Ukraine fighting for Russian forces and urged Russia to stop recruiting young men from the country to fight in its army. Nepal's ambassador to Russia claimed around 150-200 Nepali nationals have been fighting for Russia.[33] In early January 2024, Nepal stopped issuing permits for its citizens to work in Russia or Ukraine after 10 of its citizens were killed fighting in Russia's army.[34] The number of Nepalis killed in Ukraine is officially 12 but could be as high as 19.[35]
In addition, Nepali foreign ministerNarayan Prakash Saud said that as of December 2023, four Nepali men had been taken prisoner by the Ukrainian army, and about 100 were missing or injured.[36][37]
A number of Indian nationals were reportedly 'duped' into fighting in Russia's army after being promised other jobs, admissions to "dubious private universities" and "free discounted visa extensions" within Russia,[38] but were instead sent to the front lines. The identities of at least two Indian nationals expecting to work as "helpers" have been confirmed killed fighting at the front in Ukraine. In March 2024, India said it had uncovered a "major human trafficking network" which lured young men to Russia with the promise of jobs only to force them to fight in the war.[35][39][40]
As of January 2025, 12 Indian nationals were killed and another 16 missing while fighting for Russia in Ukraine.[41]
On 8 April 2025, Ukrainian presidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian troops had captured two Chinese nationals that were fighting in the ranks of the Russian military against Ukraine. According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian troops had clashed with six Chinese soldiers near the villagesBilohorivka and Tarasivka inDonetsk Oblast. Zelenskyy also said that there are "much more" Chinese citizens in Russian units.[42][43][44]
Serbian foreign fighters
A significant number ofSerbian citizens andethnic Serbs from neighbouring countries such asBosnia (specifically the autonomousRepublika Srpska) andMontenegro have joined to fight for pro-Russian forces in Donbas, having been described by external observers and the DPR/LPR authorities as one of the largest components of foreign fighters.[32][45] Many of the Serb fighters are veterans of theYugoslav Wars. Serbian units within the pro-Russian forces include the International Brigade, Seventh Brigade, Serbian-Hussar Regiment, Ural Unit, First Slavic Unit, Batman Unit, Rezanj Unit[46] and the Jovan Šević Detachment.[47]
Historical links with Russia,pan-Slavism andreligious affinity have been regarded as a major factor in Serbs joining the pro-Russian forces, although many are mercenaries.[25] Many of the fighters identify asChetniks.[47] In January 2024, Serbian DPR fighter Dejan Berich spoke of abuse of Serbian recruits with Russian paratroopers referring to the Serbs as "gypsies" and sending them on assaults with two or three magazines of ammunition, ordering them to obtain weapons in the battlefield.[48]
Bratislav Živković, a Serbian mercenary and leader of the Chetniks, a Serbian extremist group, was killed in Ukraine in January 2025. In the war, he had organized Serbian mercenaries entering eastern Ukraine and supported the efforts of pro-Russian separatists.[49]
Far-left volunteers
Left-wing volunteers have gone to fight for the pro-Russian forces, accusing the Ukrainian government of being a "fascist state" and seeking to engage in an "anti-fascist struggle". However, these leftist volunteers have co-operated with far-right groups in Donbas.[50] Among the initial volunteers were members of theCommunist Party of Ukraine, as well as some members oftrade unions and labor organizations opposed to the new government that emerged after theEuromaidan Ukrainian Revolution.[51][52][53][54][55][56]
A small number of Spanish socialists travelled to Ukraine to fight for the separatists, with some explaining they were "repaying the favour" to Russia for theUSSR's support to Republicans during theSpanish Civil War.[25][57] They were also enlisting in solidarity with those who died in theUnions House fire.[58][59] Spanish fighters established the 'Carlos Palomino International Brigade', which fought under the flag of theSecond Spanish Republic. In 2015, it reportedly had less than ten members.[60] Other examples include the 'DKO' (Volunteer Communist Unit) and the Interunit, both composed of foreign communist volunteers.[61][62]
Far-right foreign fighters from Europe and to a lesser extentNorth America have fought alongside the pro-Russian separatists in Donbas, includingwhite nationalists,neo-Nazis,fascists andChristian extremists. Motivations for these fighters have included the belief that they are fighting America and Western interests and that Vladimir Putin is a bulwark for traditionalwhite European values who they must support against thedecadent West.[32][50]
One notable far-right group is the French organisation Continental Unity, which has been accused of recruiting far-right extremists across Europe to come and fight in Donbas.[25] Other far-right groups include theBulgarian nationalist Orthodox Dawn Battalion[66] and theHungarian nationalist Legion of Saint Istvan.[67]
TheIran-alignedLebanese political partyHezbollah denied sending fighters to Ukraine after the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces accused some of their members of being among 1,000 Syrian mercenaries allegedly hired to fight in Ukraine.[80]
In June 2024, Bloomberg reported that Russia was detaining and forcing Africans on work visas to decide between deportation or fighting in the war.[87]
In November 2025, The Guardian reported that South Africa had launched an investigation into 17 South African nationals present in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. The office of South African president,Cyril Ramaphosa, said that it had received distress calls from the individuals, men aged between 20 and 39, who had been ″lured to join mercenary forces involved in the Ukraine-Russia war under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts″. Although it was not clear which side they were fighting for, their presence in a region largely occupied by Russia and the reference of being lured by financial promises strongly suggests the men were enlisted by Russia.[88]
In November 2025,Kenya said that more than 200 Kenyan citizens were fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Kenya's ministry of foreign affairs stated that Russian recruiters were still actively attempting to lure more Kenyan nationals into the war, adding that several nationals who were rescued nearNairobi while being prepared for deployment had been misled about their role, believing they were being recruited for non-combat roles.[89]
Asian volunteers
On 23 July 2024, Tokyo reported the death of a Japanese national, an ex-JGSDF soldier who was last stationed in Osaka, was reportedly killed on 3 June.[90]
American volunteers
Michael Gloss, son of Juliane Gloss, theCIA Deputy Director of Digital Innovation, died in April 2024 fighting for Russia in the invasion of Ukraine.[91][92]
Derek Huffman, an American from Texas, joined the Russian military in May 2025 after moving his family to Russia in search of "traditional values". According to his wife, Huffman, who has no previous military experience, was promised that he would have a non-combat role within the military, but was sent to the front after just weeks of training and learning Russian, which neither Huffman or his family speak or understand.[93]
Latin American mercenaries
Cuban mercenaries are reported to have participated in the conflict.[94] In July 2025, a report from El Pais estimated as many as 20,000 Cubans had been recruited into the Russian Army since 2022, with around 200-300 killed. According to Verkhovna Rada member Maryan Zablotskyy, up to 40% of volunteers were part of the Cuban Armed Forces.[95] In October 2025, Ukrainian military intelligence released intercepted communications allegedly showing Colombian mercenaries receiving orders to kill civilians.[96]
A number of other African former students are known to have been recruited by the Wagner Group after receiving criminal convictions while in Russia. Lemekani Nathan Nyirenda, a Zambian former student at theMoscow Engineering Physics Institute who had been sentenced to a nine-and-a-half year jail term, was killed while fighting for the Wagner Group in September 2022.[100] Nemes Tarimo, a Tanzanian former student atMoscow Technological University who had previously received a seven-year jail term, was killed in similar circumstances in October 2022.[100]
Similarly to their opponents, many foreign fighters from the former Soviet Union have fought in the Russo-Ukrainian War for the Ukrainian side. These have included fighters from Armenia,[101]Azerbaijan,[101]Uzbekistan,[102] theBaltic states,[25] Belarus[11] andGeorgia.[103][104] Exiled Chechens opposed toRamzan Kadyrov[25] and some Russian dissidents[25][105] have also taken up arms on behalf of the Ukrainians.
Georgia
Georgians have been participating in the conflict on the side of Ukraine, since 2014. Large formations such as theGeorgian Legion that consist of 1,000 fighters, are mostly made up of Georgian, but also various other nationalities, including British.[106]
Unofficially, since the launch of Russia's invasion in 2022, an estimated 1,500 Georgians are fighting for Ukraine in various Ukrainian Armed Forces units and theInternational Legion.[107]
In spring 2022, it was reported that more than 200 Belarusian citizens have joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine to defend Ukraine from the Russian invasion, with another 300 volunteers from Belarus came through Poland.[108][109] In July 2023,Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that around 450 Belarusians were fighting for Ukraine.[110]
In the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Belarusians have created a separatebattalion named after Kastuś Kalinoŭski to defend Kyiv.[111][112] It later transformed into a regiment consisting of two battalions, u UAV unit and a medical company.[110] The Kastus Kalinouski Regiment was also joined byPavel Shurmei, a former Belarusian Olympic rower and world record holder.[113]
Another Belarusian volunteer battalion fighting for Ukraine, a part of the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Battalion, was known as thePahonia Regiment.[114][115] It ceased to exist in 2023.[110]
Several other Belarusians are fighting in different Ukrainian military formations as well.[118][110]
Uzbekistan
Several Uzbek citizens have been involved in the Russo-Ukrainian War, primarily by joining Russian military forces. This involvement has led to legal repercussions upon their return to Uzbekistan, where participation in foreign military conflicts is prohibited under national law.[119]
Uzbekistan's government has taken a firm stance against its citizens participating in foreign military conflicts. The Consulate General in Kazan issued warnings emphasizing that such actions are criminal offenses under Uzbek law, punishable by up to ten years in prison. Courts have considered mitigating factors such as voluntary surrender, lack of prior convictions, and family circumstances when sentencing. Some individuals received suspended sentences or probation instead of imprisonment.[120][121]
Colombia
According to unofficial estimates from the International Legion, between 1,500 and 2,500[122] Colombians have volunteered to fight for Ukraine since 2022, of which 450 to 550 have been killed.[123] Many Colombian volunteers are military veterans.[124][125] According to Hector Bernal, a retired combat medic who trained more than 20 Colombian volunteers in 8 months, "They're like the Latin American migrants who go to the U.S. in search of a better future. These are not volunteers who want to defend another country's flag. They are simply motivated by economic need."[126]
Mario Iván Urueña Sánchez, an international law professor atRosario University, noted that Colombian fighters are often deployed on high-risk missions without proper integration, protection, or support, leading to a "staggering death rate". Sánchez also said that, "there is a lot of discrimination, a lot of mistreatment" against Colombian volunteers.[127] In a video from July 2023, a Colombian volunteer said, "They treat me like a dog, even though I have fucking shrapnel in my arm from defending your fucking country!"[128]
Finland
According to the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, as of 30 April 2025, over 100 Finns have fought for Ukraine while over a dozen have been killed.[129]
Hungary
According to an estimate by Fegyir Sándor that was made in July 2023, around 400 Hungarians have fought in the war so far while 30 of them "have unfortunately died."[130] A Hungarian volunteer who goes by the callsign "Attila", told Hungarian media, "I have no problems in the Ukrainian army because of my Hungarianness. Everyone is respected here as they deserve. We have been serving together since the beginning of the war and we are respected as Hungarians. Unfortunately, this cannot be said of many of my fellow Hungarian citizens who have been brainwashed by the Orbán media."[130]
On 8 November 2024, then US PresidentJoe Biden officially allowed private military contractors to deploy to Ukraine where (according to theUnited States Department of Defense) they would be conducting maintenance on US supplied equipment such as theF-16 Fighter Jet.[136]
Some American volunteers have voiced complaints about the leadership of Ukrainian officers. During an interview, an American volunteer who goes by the callsign "Redneck" toldCNN, "While some officers gave foreigners and Ukrainians equal tasks, others will sell you out and get you killed just as quick."[137]
Ajnad al-Kavkaz, a group ofChechen foreign fighters which fights on the side of theSyrian opposition, which is fighting the Russian government in theSyrian civil war, deployed some fighters to fight for the Ukrainian side. Like other Chechen foreign fighter groups across the world, they are motivated by anti-Russian sentiment stemming from theChechnyan Conflict.[140]
A small number ofSouth Koreans have also volunteered for Ukraine, although they were legally prohibited from doing so, due to concerns that it could cause diplomatic issues for South Korea. Four South Koreans had been convicted for serving in Ukraine by 2023.[141]
Foreign expats living in Ukraine have also fought in the Ukrainian forces. Brahim Saadoun, aMoroccan national, studied in the country as a foreign student from 2019 and enlisted in the Ukrainian army in 2022. He was captured by Russian forces but released to Morocco in September 2022 in an agreement brokered bySaudi Arabia.[142]
Three days after the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy announced the establishment of the International Legion.[4]
Beness Aijo, LatvianNazbol of Russian and Ugandan descent who was arrested and deported from Ukraine for fighting with the Interbrigades in 2014. He later returned to Ukraine to fight for the Donetsk People's Republic.
Dejan Berić, Serbian sniper in the armed forces of the DNR.
Russell Bentley, a former American soldier and communist who fought with Russian separatists in 2014 and returned in 2022 with the expressed intention of helping Russian forces.[145][146] Believed to have been tortured and killed by fellow Russian servicemen mistaking him for a US spy in 2024.[147]
Jerzy Tyc, Polish Pro-Russian activist who had previously renovated Soviet war memorials and military cemetaries in Poland, killed in Ukraine in September 2025[148]
Bratislav Živković, Serbian mercenary and leader of extremist group known as the Chetniks, killed in Ukraine in January 2025.[49]
Pro-Ukraine
Trevor Cadieu, a three star Canadian general, possibly captured in June 2022.
Shaun Pinner, former British soldier who joined the Ukrainian Army as a volunteer and was captured and sentenced to death by the authorities of the Donetsk People's Republic.
^Numbers for foreign fighters between 2014 and 2019 are according to a study by Arkadiusz Legieć, a Senior Analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs.[1]
^Mayer, Janos Chiala,Tali."The young miners of Donbass".www.aljazeera.com.Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved29 November 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^"Russian Imperial Movement: how a far-right group outlawed by the UK is spreading terror across Europe".The Conversation. 16 July 2025.The RIM has also provided specific paramilitary training to far-right groups in Finland. Some members of these groups have fought on Russia's side in Ukraine, while others have attempted to establish a Finnish cell of the international neo-nazi Atomwaffen Division. Police raids in 2023 also unveiled plans to assassinate the then Finnish prime minister, Sanna Marin.
^"Some 20 Finns fought against Ukraine in Donbas, facing no consequences in Finland – media".Euromaidan Press. 13 May 2024."Johan Backman says that he continues to help Finns who have gone to Eastern Ukraine to fight. He does not feel responsible for the people he recruits." Johan Bäckman is an important central figure for Finnish fighters, who had organized their travel from Finland to the Donbas and engaged them in illegal activities there. Janus Kostia Putkonen arrived in Donbas from Moscow via Rostov, southern Russia, in March 2015.
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