Russia brands foreign mercenaries with numbers – Ukraine intel

Russia is identifying foreign mercenaries serving in its military with numbered tags, according to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence (HUR). These unique identifiers, applied with lasting paint, are placed either on equipment or directly on the skin of the soldiers. HUR has reported instances where Russian authorities stopped foreigners, including students and labor migrants, to check them for these numbers.

The practice, reminiscent of Nazi concentration camp tactics, serves to eliminate the foreign combatants' identities and legal status. Russia uses this system to treat the foreign mercenaries as commodities, assigning them numerical designations akin to assault units. This method allows Russia to treat the bodies of fallen foreign soldiers as unidentified casualties, effectively avoiding compensation to families from Africa and Asia.

Furthermore, by concealing the true scale of their losses, Russia avoids adhering to international humanitarian law. HUR has shared this data with foreign partners and law enforcement agencies, with the intention of including it in future international tribunals against Russia's military and political leaders. As of April 2025, iStories reported that mercenaries from at least 48 countries were fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine's forces.

According to other sources, up to 3,589 foreign nationals had been killed fighting on Russia's side in the conflict since it began.