More Than 1,500 Foreign Nationals Were Recruited To Fight For Russia, UK Says

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with servicemenMore than 1,500 foreign nationals were recruited to fight for Vladimir Putin’sRussia last year, according to the UK.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported in its latest update on X that these international fighters were enlisted between April 2023 and the end of May 2024.The update cited a report from the independent Russian media outlet Vazhnyye Istorii, which said the highest number of volunteers came from South and East Asia (771) and Soviet republics (523) and Africa (72).But the intelligence officials said this “non-systematic” recruitment.“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 Russia citizenship,” the MoD said.“It is likely that many foreign nationals are recruited through Moscow due to the city’s higher signing-on bonuses, and relative international accessibility.”It did note however that “foreign nationals almost certainly make up a very small proportion of the Russian Armed Forces’ total recruitment”.The priority has still been “recruiting from within Russia,” the MoD said.“Nonetheless, some recruitment of foreign nationals will almost certainly continue in the medium term as Russia maintains its current recruitment strategy, intended to replace heavy battlefield losses without resorting to a second wave of mobilisation.”Putin’s push to seize more Ukrainian land has come with a high rate of attrition, with casualties accumulated since the 2022 invasion reaching approximately 900,000.Russian forces have used troops from North Korea to help fight off the Ukrainian incursion of Kursk after the two countries struck a mutual defence pact.It’s thought approximately 1,000 North Korean troops were killed as a result.Two Chinese citizens were also captured fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, although it’s believed they were recruited independently.Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed there were at least 155 Chinese nationals fighting for Putin in the war, but Beijing dismissed that as an “irresponsible” remark.Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 27 April 2025. Find out more about Defence Intelligence’s use of language: https://t.co/Wrf83zdDwg#StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/bZVCe3rrPD— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) April 27, 2025The MoD also warned on Friday that Putin had used the 30-day ceasefire on Ukrainian energy infrastructure to restock.Related...Putin Ally Says Moscow Is ‘Ready’ For Deal With Trump To End Ukraine WarTrump Says Russia's Concession In Ukraine Talks Is To Not Take 'The Whole Country'Government Slaps Down Trump's Plan To Hand Crimea Over To Russia In Exchange For Peace

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