Almost 46,000 foreigners have signed contracts with Russian army since 2022, Ukraine says

According to Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, nearly 46,000 foreigners have signed contracts with the Russian Army since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. These individuals hailed from 151 countries and unrecognized territories. The Russian military has been enticing foreigners to join by offering contracts in exchange for Russian citizenship and financial compensation.

Many of these recruits have been deployed to the front lines in Ukraine, risking their lives. In the first nine months of 2026, Russia has significantly ramped up its foreign recruitment efforts, with 16,168 individuals already identified. This figure is higher than the total number of foreign recruits in 2025. The Ukrainian agency predicts that Russia intends to recruit up to 18,500 foreigners by the end of the year, potentially reaching around 21,500 with the current rate of recruitment.

Most of these recruits come from Russia-friendly nations such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Belarus. Foreign citizens from Africa and Latin America also contributed to the recruitment, including 1,449 Colombians, 699 Burundians, 530 Zimbabweans, and 503 Peruvians. The findings show that 46.7% of the recruits sought Russian citizenship, while 28% were unaware they would be engaged in combat.

Approximately 48.8% of the recruits were captured by Ukraine's Armed Forces after sustaining injuries, and 79% expressed their desire to return to Russia during prisoner exchanges. The data was collected by a project called "I Want to Live," aimed at Russian soldiers willing to surrender.