Russia recruits 45,959 foreigners to fight against Ukraine — but doesn’t take a single one back from captivity, Kyiv says

Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for Prisoners of War reported that 45,959 foreigners from 151 countries have joined Russia's army in its fight against Ukraine. Moscow has not released a single captured foreign fighter, according to the agency. As of October 1, the number of Russian-servicing foreign recruits remains at 45,959.

The figure highlights Russia's desperate need to bolster its manpower by recruiting from various nations. Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, head of the prisoner-of-war headquarters, visited the Zakhid-1 camp and met foreign soldiers who signed contracts with Russia's armed forces and now worry about their fate and eventual return home.

Russia keeps them out of prisoner swaps, making their freedom contingent upon their home governments rather than Moscow. The total count includes everyone who has signed with Russia's army since 2022, not just those currently serving. Ukraine's records list each recruit's rank, dog tag, and contract date. For 2026, Russia's Defense Ministry aims to secure 18,500 foreign contracts, which Kyiv believes Russia will meet.

Recruits are increasingly originating from countries like Indonesia, Peru, Chad, and Zimbabwe. Meanwhile, Ukraine has captured citizens of 59 nations. Russia has logged over 144,000 appeals from Russian families seeking information on missing soldiers, with about 300 requests daily. Because Moscow does not account for its missing soldiers, relatives seek answers via Ukrainian channels and push for prisoner exchanges.

A survey by the non-profit Lingva Lexa found that nearly 43% of Russian prisoners view Ukrainians as "not fully human" and roughly 70% deem the war at least partly justified. About a third of them stated they would rejoin the Russian army following a prisoner exchange.