روسيا توسّع تجنيد الأجانب灌输 إلى 18.5 ألف جندي annually
تTroops Russia have sharply expanded the recruitment of foreign soldiers, drawing recruits from Asia, Africa, Latin America and other regions, according to Ukrainian officials and a documentary on deceptive recruitment practices. Ukraine says it has identified nearly 49,000 foreign nationals from 59 countries who signed contracts with the Russian armed forces.
أبرز النقاط
- Russia is recruiting about 1,800 foreign soldiers every month, according to Andrii Yusov.
- Russia's 2026 recruitment plan is estimated at 18,500 foreign soldiers.
- Ukraine has identified nearly 49,000 foreign nationals from 59 countries who signed contracts with the Russian armed forces.
- The number of recorded foreign military contracts rose from 94 in 2022 to 16,085 in 2025.
- Russia recorded 16,168 foreign military contracts during the first nine months of 2026.
- More than 3,000 foreign recruits whose contracts have expired are not being released, according to Ukraine's Coordination Staff.
- Recruitment is expanding across Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia, while Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Belarus and Kazakhstan remain the most common countries of origin.
لماذا يهمّ ذلك
Foreign recruitment is expanding Russia's available manpower while reducing its reliance on additional domestic mobilization waves. Its growing scale and geographic reach show that the war increasingly depends on personnel from outside Russia. Reports of deception, withheld documents, restricted movement, threats and unpaid compensation also indicate abusive recruitment practices. Ukraine's refusal to release more than 3,000 foreign recruits whose contracts have expired raises concerns about extended service and coercion.
ماذا حدث
Ukraine's Coordination Staff says Russia recruits about 1,800 foreign soldiers each month. The number of recorded foreign military contracts rose from 94 in 2022 to 4,067 in 2023, 8,877 in 2024 and 16,085 in 2025, reaching 16,168 during the first nine months of 2026. Ukraine has identified nearly 49,000 foreign nationals from 59 countries who signed contracts with Russian armed forces. Russia uses recruitment agencies and local brokers who assist with visas, tickets, documents, meetings and travel to contract-signing locations. Recruits may initially be offered civilian employment, educational opportunities or cultural and sporting events, only to sign military contracts. Some report that their passports and phones were taken away, their movement was restricted, or they were threatened after trying to refuse service. Promised payments may also be delayed or never paid. The case of Kenyan athlete Evans Kibet illustrates the alleged deception: he said he travelled to Saint Petersburg for a cultural event, was presented with documents in Russian that he did not understand, later discovered they were a military contract, and eventually ended up in Ukrainian captivity.
كيف تصفه المصادر الأوكرانية
Ukrainian officials frame foreign recruitment as a way for Russia to compensate for military losses, demographic costs and social pressure while avoiding new open mobilization waves. Ukrainian coverage also focuses on the alleged deception and coercion used in recruitment and on the experiences of foreign prisoners captured in Ukraine.
الخلفية
The most common countries of origin for recruits are Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Belarus and Kazakhstan, but recruitment has also expanded across Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Kenya. Citizens of Indonesia accounted for 258 recruits in a year, up from eight. The documentary “Predatory Recruitment: The Story of Evans,” produced by hromadske with support from the Asgard and Dirt Foundation, examines Russia’s recruitment system, the promises made to foreign recruits and what happens to them after signing contracts.