Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Kyiv noted that Russia has not asked for the return of the foreign POW’s currently held by Ukraine.
On Telegram, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (CHTPW) wrote that Ukraine has verified the names of at least 18,000 foreigners from 128 different countries or territories who are currently fighting, or have fought, for Russia.
The post added that at least 3,388 of these foreigners have been killed, and that Ukraine currently holds prisoners from 37 different countries.
Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, Secretary of the CHTPW, said at a panel discussion at the Crimea Global conference in Kyiv earlier this week that Russia’s recruitment system expanded rapidly from 2023, initially generating a few hundred contracts each month but now securing thousands.
Expanding outreach
PBS has previously reported on rising recruitment from Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, Uganda and other African states. Cameroon’s Defence Ministry even urged commanders to act “immediately” to prevent desertions amid an outflow of soldiers.
Recent findings also suggest young Iraqis are being enticed to enlist through social media campaigns promising passports and salaries of about £2,100, while influencers on TikTok and Telegram advertise bonuses approaching £15,400.
Usov said Ukraine is working to repatriate all its prisoners of war and has slowed Russia’s international recruitment through coordinated actions involving Defence Intelligence, the Foreign Ministry and lawmakers.
No word from Russia on the foreign fighters
Usov argued that Moscow is uninterested in securing the return of the foreign fighters held by Ukraine, saying, “Russia has not requested the exchange of a single foreign national, apart from citizens of North Korea.”
Reports from autumn 2024 indicated North Korean troops were operating in Ukraine, with more undergoing training in Russia.
In November, the US confirmed North Korean forces were engaged in combat in Russia’s Kursk region, while President Volodymyr Zelensky said those deployed alongside Russian troops had suffered casualties.
Sources: Express, PBS, The Odessa Journal, Telegram
