Ukraine has identified 45,959 foreign nationals from 151 countries and unrecognized territories who signed contracts with Russia’s armed forces.
The Ukrainian figures indicate that foreign recruitment in the first nine months of this year had already surpassed the total recorded for 2025.
Kyiv identified 16,168 foreign recruits between January and September, compared with 16,085 last year, 8,877 in 2024, 4,067 in 2023, and 94 in 2022.
According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia’s recruitment target for 2026 is 18,500 foreigners, estimating that recruitment is running at up to 1,800 people a month.
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Belarus accounted for the largest numbers of recruits overall, while recruitment was growing fastest in African and Latin American countries.
During the first nine months of 2026, those signing contracts included 1,449 Colombians, 699 Burundians, 530 Zimbabweans, and 503 Peruvians.
Citizenship Among Reasons for Enlisting
Ukraine said it has captured nationals from 59 countries fighting for Russia since 2022.
A survey of foreign prisoners of war conducted by “I Want to Live,” a Ukrainian government project that helps Russian troops surrender, found that 46.7 percent said they had signed military contracts to obtain Russian citizenship.
Some 28 percent said they didn’t know they would be fighting against Ukraine.
Another 41.4 percent reported being recruited through military enlistment offices or selection centers, indicating a role for official Russian recruitment channels.
Nearly half of respondents said they were captured after being wounded, while 79 percent wanted to return to Russia through a prisoner exchange.
Amnesty International has also accused Moscow of using deception, coercion, and exploitation to recruit foreign nationals for the war in Ukraine, saying many cases amount to human trafficking.
Its research documented false promises of civilian jobs and pressure on migrants to enlist to avoid detention or deportation.
Interviewees reported being sent into combat with little training and facing threats or restrictions on their movement when they tried to leave.
