The Russian military continues to recruit foreign mercenaries to fight in Ukraine. Although the overall number of foreigners fighting on behalf of Russia is small compared to the needs and casualties the Russian forces are taking on a daily basis in Ukraine, it remains a critical source of stopgap manpower for the Kremlin.

A Guide to Russia’s Foreign Mercenary Units

According to a recent report by iStories, an independent Russian media outlet, the Russian military recruited more than 1,500 foreign nationals from Moscow between April 2023 and the end of May 2024 to participate in the Kremlin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. In terms of origin, the majority of mercenaries came from South and East Asia (771 men), followed by the former states of the Soviet Union (523 men) and Africa (72 men). Overall, citizens of more than 48 foreign countries have enlisted in the Russian forces.

“Russian military recruitment of foreign nationals is probably largely non-systematic, with most attracted to sign contracts on the basis of financial incentives and a prospective pathway to Russian citizenship,” the British Ministry of........

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