Russia has already recruited more than 28 000 foreigners, most of them from African countries, for the war against Ukraine. The foreign mercenaries are promised “high wages”.
This was reported by the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (known as GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleh Ivashchenko for the Times.
According to Ivashchenko, the Russian Federation continues to receive military assistance from the DPRK. In particular, approximately 8 000 North Korean soldiers are currently stationed in the Kursk region. According to Ukrainian intelligence, their number may increase to 50 000.
North Korea also continues to provide missiles to Russia.
Russian mercenaries from other countries
According to the Coordination Headquarters, as of the end of March this year, 10 000 living and dead mercenaries had been identified, and hundreds more were in Ukrainian captivity.
There are currently established facts of recruitment into the Russian army of citizens of Nepal, India, Syria, Serbia and Somalia. The Russian Federation has also recruited into its army illegal migrants from the Finnish border who were trying to enter the EU through Russia.
In April 2025, Volodymyr Zelensky said that two Chinese citizens who fought as part of the Russian army were captured in the Donetsk region.
In January 2026, another scheme to recruit foreigners became known — Russians lured Bangladeshi citizens to supposedly civilian vacancies, and then sent them to fight against Ukraine. Russia also recruited 459 Peruvians to fight against Ukraine — 11 of them died.
Also in May, it became known that at least 204 Armenian citizens who fought against Ukraine in the ranks of the Russian army were killed or missing.
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