Ukrainian forces have captured hundreds of foreigners who fought on the side of the Russian Federation. This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, noting that the number of such captives is constantly increasing.
This is reported by Finway
Foreigners in the Russian Army: Geography and Scale
Among the foreigners captured in Ukraine are individuals from Arab countries, including Egypt, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Algeria, Syria, Morocco, and Jordan. According to the Coordination Headquarters, the Ukrainian army captures between one and three citizens of third countries each week, whom the Kremlin regime sends to war.
“In total, hundreds of foreigners are in Ukrainian captivity, and their number continues to grow. Each week, the Ukrainian Defense Forces capture between one and three citizens of third countries, whom the Kremlin regime is effectively sending to certain death.”
The project “I Want to Live” has released data on over 10,000 identified living and deceased foreigners who served in the Russian armed forces. Currently, it is known that 27,407 foreign citizens from 135 countries have been recruited into the ranks of the Russian army. Only in 2025, hundreds of individuals from Arabic-speaking countries in Africa and the Middle East joined the occupying forces of the Russian Federation.
Recruitment and Conditions of Engagement in the War
According to the headquarters’ information, most of the captives claim they came to Russia for work but ended up on the front lines. A similar situation occurred with citizens of Ghana: in February, the country’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa reported during a visit to Ukraine about meeting two Ghanaian citizens who fought on the side of the Russian Federation and are now held in a Ukrainian prisoner of war camp.
It is also known that the Russian authorities actively involve foreign students and workers residing in Russia in the war. Reports indicate that they are threatened with non-renewal of visas or other documents if they do not sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense. Similar pressure is applied to Africans with work visas.