Kyiv plans new National Guard center to recruit foreigners. Front-line commander wants it built fast: half of them still come on donations

Yurii Butusov, a commander in the 23rd Assault Regiment, expressed concern over Ukraine's Defense Ministry's lack of attention to recruiting foreign volunteers amid a manpower shortage. About half of the foreign volunteers who arrived in 2026 did so through private donations, according to Butusov, who spoke to Apostrophe TV. While foreign volunteers have fought for Ukraine since 2022, the process of bringing them in, training them, and funding their presence has largely fallen on the units and private donors.

Butusov emphasized that neither the ousted reform team nor the current minister has shown interest in helping. The 23rd Assault Regiment, the largest assault unit fighting with foreign volunteers, also lacks representatives from both the ousted defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov and the current minister Yevhenii Khmara. Butusov stressed that the ministry neither prioritizes this matter nor recognizes the potential contribution of foreign volunteers to the Defense Forces.

Despite the strain on mobilization, Butusov believes the Ukrainian military leadership is not taking the necessary steps to recruit foreign volunteers, noting that half of the foreigners brought in in 2026 came on donations from Ukrainian volunteers and philanthropists, not state funds. He expressed hope that decided by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters will be implemented, including the establishment of a new National Guard center for foreign volunteer recruitment and funding.