Russia has recruited over 42,000 foreigners for war – one in five has already died
Russia has recruited at least 42,000 foreigners into its army to wage war against Ukraine – and one in five of them is already dead. The Russian Federation has been building record-breaking plans to recruit foreigners for a long time – by the end of 2026, the Russian Federation seeks to additionally recruit at least 18,500 citizens of other states. Mercenaries are lured with promises of high earnings, and on the front lines they end up without documents and proper training.
As of now, more than 14,000 soldiers from the DPRK and more than 28,000 recruited foreigners directly in the ranks of the Russian army have been identified. Recruitment is taking place both within the Russian Federation itself and in donor countries – through embassies, “Russian houses” and private recruiters. Dozens of states have already officially reacted to Moscow’s cynical actions to recruit their citizens.
The UN has recorded the inhuman treatment of recruited foreigners in a report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Despite international publicity, Russia continues to replace its own losses with the lives of others.
The main lure is money. Most recruits have joined the Russian armed forces due to promises of high salaries, manipulation and pressure. However, as a result, they end up on the front lines without documents and proper training – in fact, deprived of any legal protection.
The largest supplier of “manpower” has become the DPRK – more than 14 thousand identified military personnel. Among foreign mercenaries outside the North Korean contingent, a significant share are from African countries, in particular from Kenya. The recruitment network covers dozens of countries and operates systematically – through diplomatic channels and Moscow’s cultural centers abroad.
By the end of 2026, the Russian Federation seeks to attract at least 18.5 thousand new foreigners. This indicates that Russia is unable to make up for its losses with its own resources and is increasingly relying on external recruitment.
The first Russian soldier to die in the war against Ukraine was a 14-year-old at the time of the full-scale invasion. This was 18-year-old machine gunner Alisher Svirin from the Moscow region, who signed a contract immediately after coming of age and fought for no more than three months. He was liquidated on May 1, 2026.
Journalists and volunteers have confirmed, using open data, the names of more than 226,000 Russians who have already died. Among them are more than 200 young men who have barely turned 18. While the total losses of the Russian Federation (killed and wounded) exceed a million people, the Russian Federation is beginning to plug the holes on the front with yesterday’s schoolchildren.
Kenya has become one of the most notable examples of African recruitment for the needs of the Russian Federation. Earlier it became known that Russia had recruited over a thousand Kenyans to participate in the fighting in Ukraine. The country’s government reacted.
In addition, the fate of African mercenaries at the front turned out to be tragic. There were cases when they were thrown into meat assaults without proper cover – several groups of Kenyans were eliminated. This confirms that foreigners in the Russian army are expendable material, and not full-fledged fighters.