Work of Stamford Volunteer Highlighted in Writer’s Ukraine Talk
Anna Bowles will share eyewitness accounts and photographs from Ukraine, with voluntary donations supporting Ukrainian volunteer organisations.
- On August 4, Military Ombudsman Olha Reshetylova announced that about 16,000 foreign volunteers from at least 72 countries serve in Ukraine's Defense Forces, sharing the figures during a meeting of heads of Ukraine's foreign diplomatic missions.
- The International Legion, the primary destination for most volunteers, draws members from more than 50 countries. Reshetylova noted that nearly 40% are citizens of Latin American countries, reflecting diverse motivations from career soldiers to those driven by personal loss.
- Colombian veterans aid Ukrainian forces in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, bringing military experience from fighting drug cartels. British bomb-disposal expert Christopher "Swampy" Garrett trained more than 2,000 troops before his death on May 6, 2025, in Izium.
- Since January 27, 2026, Reshetylova's office has received more than 300 requests regarding pay, benefits, and contract termination. "Ukraine values contribution and understands their responsibility to uphold their rights," she said.
- Beyond the battlefield, foreign volunteers face potential imprisonment by Russia or prosecution at home. A Russian court sentenced British fighter James Scott Rees Anderson to 19 years on "terrorism" charges following his capture in Kursk Oblast.
15 Articles
15 Articles
According to Kiev, more than 16,000 foreigners are now fighting for Ukraine. The change is striking: almost 40 percent of the volunteers now come from Latin America.
The Ukrainian army is increasingly internationalizing against the Russian forces. The massive presence of Latin American volunteers underscores a new dynamic of global recruitment, far from the contingents...
Colombian veterans, a British bomb-disposal expert, a Finnish teenager: who are the 16,000 foreigners fighting for Ukraine?
About 16,000 foreign volunteers from at least 72 countries serve in Ukraine's Defense Forces, Military Ombudsman Olha Reshetylova said. Reshetylova said nearly 40% are citizens of Latin American countries. The figures show the scale of foreign volunteers' participation in Ukraine's military as Russia's invasion strains Ukraine's manpower. Reshetylova's office monitors their rights and uses complaints to identify recurring problems. Reshetylova a…
They also plan to increase the proportion of foreign recruits in assault and infantry units by as much as 50 percent.
Shortly after the start of the Russian Great Invasion, Kiev calls the International Legion to life. Meanwhile, the Association is dissolved. According to Kiev, however, thousands of foreigners continue to fight in the ranks of the Ukrainian army.
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