Russia has recruited over 28,000 foreign mercenaries, says Ukraine military intelligence
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) estimates that Russia has recruited more than 28,000 foreign mercenaries to fight against Ukraine, according to an interview by HUR chief Lieutenant General Oleh Ivashchenko with The Times. The figure, the bulk of whom are reportedly from African countries, was disclosed alongside claims of deepening Russian–North Korean military cooperation.
Key points
- HUR chief Lieutenant General Oleh Ivashchenko said Russia has recruited over 28,000 foreign mercenaries, in an interview with The Times.
- The majority of the recruits are from African countries, according to Ukrainian intelligence estimates.
- Merchants are promised high pay; established recruitment cases include citizens of Nepal, India, Syria, Serbia, and Somalia.
- As of late March, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters had identified 10,000 living and deceased mercenaries, with hundreds more in Ukrainian captivity.
- Russia also recruited illegal migrants from the Finnish border who were attempting to enter the EU, per the supplied facts.
- HUR says Russia in 2026 plans to recruit citizens of Central Asian states — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan — and lists Bangladesh, Chad, Sudan, Burundi and other African countries as priority directions.
- HUR also estimates around 8,000 North Korean troops are currently deployed in Russia's Kursk region, a figure that could grow to roughly 50,000.
Why it matters
The 28,000 figure suggests Russia is sustaining its war effort in Ukraine partly through foreign recruitment, including deception and irregular channels, beyond its own mobilized population. Documented recruitment from Africa, South Asia, the Caucasus and Latin America pulls citizens of many third countries into the conflict and risks diplomatic friction with those states. Recruitment of migrants at the Finnish border and the reported pivot toward Central Asia carry cross-border security implications for neighbouring countries and the EU. The announcement is paired with claims of deepening Russian–North Korean cooperation and additional North Korean deployments, framing foreign personnel as a growing component of Russia's force generation. Ukraine says it is countering the recruitment abroad through information-sharing with foreign security services and non-kinetic operations aimed at foreign publics, signalling an active informational and intelligence front alongside the battlefield.
What happened
Lieutenant General Oleh Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), told The Times that Russia has recruited more than 28,000 foreign mercenaries to fight against Ukraine. HUR estimates that the majority come from African countries and that recruits are promised high pay. Established recruitment channels identified by Ukrainian intelligence include citizens of Nepal, India, Syria, Serbia and Somalia; Russia has also recruited illegal migrants from the Finnish border who were attempting to enter the EU. Specific reported cases include 459 Peruvian recruits, of whom 11 have died, and at least 204 Armenian citizens killed or missing as of May; Kenyan MP Kimani Ichung'wah told Le Monde that over 1,000 Kenyans are participating in the war; in April 2025 President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the capture of two Chinese citizens fighting for Russia in the Donetsk region; in January 2026 another scheme was uncovered in which Russians lured Bangladeshi citizens with ostensibly civilian job offers before sending them to fight; in 2023, 17 people were arrested in Cuba over alleged links to human trafficking and redirection of people to Russia; and in 2026 India investigated the disappearance of 26 men allegedly tricked into signing contracts with Russia. According to HUR, Russia's 2026 priority recruitment directions include Central Asian states — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan — as well as Bangladesh, Chad, Sudan, Burundi and other African countries. As of late March, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters had identified 10,000 living and deceased mercenaries, with hundreds more held as POWs. Ukraine says it is trying to disrupt the recruitment by sharing information with foreign security and intelligence services and running non-kinetic operations to inform populations in the relevant countries.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The supplied reporting is from Ukrainian-language outlets and centres on HUR's own assessment. Articles frame the 28,000 figure as evidence of Russia's systematic use of foreign nationals to offset frontline losses and emphasise the geographic spread of recruitment — African, South Asian, Caucasian and Latin American — through specific incidents such as the Kenyan MP's claim of over 1,000 Kenyans, the Cuban arrests and the Indian investigation. Coverage presents Ukraine's countermeasures — information-sharing with foreign security services and non-kinetic operations aimed at foreign publics — as an active response. Reporting couples the mercenary figure with claims of deepening Russia–North Korea military cooperation and the deployment of around 8,000 North Korean troops in Russia's Kursk region, presenting both as parts of a broader Russian manpower build-up.
Background
As of late March, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters had identified 10,000 living and deceased mercenaries and held hundreds more as POWs. Previously established cases of Russian recruitment include citizens of Nepal, India, Syria, Serbia and Somalia, and in April 2025 President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the capture of two Chinese citizens fighting for Russia in the Donetsk region. The Ivashchenko interview with The Times is the originating source for the consolidated figures cited across the supplied articles.