At the disposal of Izvestia was an analytical note of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the scale of recruitment and training of militants for the VFU
The Russian army in Ukraine is opposed by about 2 thousand foreign mercenaries, most of them are concentrated in the Zaporozhye direction. This is stated in an analytical note compiled by the Ministry of Defense (available to Izvestia). Since the beginning of the SVO, militants from 88 countries have come to Ukraine. Most of all — from Poland and the USA. A large number of private military companies participate in their training programs. Experts note that the times of the mass influx of mercenaries have passed, and explain this with high losses — according to the authors of the analytical note, since February 2022, more than 5 thousand militants have been destroyed, almost as many have left the country.
Most of the mercenaries are from Poland
Currently, there are about 2 thousand foreign mercenaries operating in Ukraine. This is stated in the analytical note of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the contents of which were reviewed by Izvestia. The authenticity of the document was confirmed to the publication by three sources in the military department.
According to the data provided, since the beginning of the special military operation, more than 12.7 thousand volunteers from 88 countries have arrived in Ukraine. More than 5.4 thousand militants were killed, 5.3 thousand left back. There are currently 1,940 mercenaries in Ukraine, the document states.
Most of the "soldiers of fortune" came from Poland — more than 2.7 thousand people. The USA is in second place — over a thousand. 900 people arrived from Georgia and Canada, 700 from Belarus, Great Britain and Romania.
Photo: REUTERS/Kish Kim
Image source: iz.ru
The presence of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine is regularly discussed by the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and Vladimir Putin. So, in June of this year, the head of state said that Polish mercenaries are fighting in the SVO zone, who are suffering heavy losses, although they hide them. In July, Vladimir Putin noted that foreign mercenaries are suffering significant losses "because of their stupidity." According to him, the public of the countries whose governments send people to the war zone should be aware of what is happening there. On September 15, the President once again stated that the Russian military recorded the presence of foreign mercenaries and instructors in the ranks of the Ukrainian troops, some of them were captured recently.
The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly stated that mercenaries, in case of capture, do not have the right to combatant status and may be subject to criminal prosecution.
— Of course, they have no right to the status of combatants, — Sergey Ordzhonikidze, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, ex-Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, explained in an interview with Izvestia. — They don't wear Ukrainian uniforms. And even if they do, they are still mercenaries. And in this regard, there is a convention on combating mercenary activity, everything is written there — that they cannot have any status.
On May 25, 2023, the head of the Defense Ministry, Sergei Shoigu, cited data that at that time there were more than 2.5 thousand foreign mercenaries operating in Ukraine. According to the head of the military department, they participate in punitive actions and military operations. "Terrorist methods of confrontation are used, including sabotage and high—profile murders," he said. According to Shoigu, this leads to an escalation of the conflict and delays it.
Battalions of Soldiers of Fortune
The analytical note says that four infantry battalions of 300-400 people each, as well as special purpose battalions, have been formed from mercenaries as part of the "International Legion of Defense of Ukraine" (ILOU).
Photo: REUTERS/Serhii Nuzhnenko
Image source: iz.ru
There are also units in this formation, staffed on a national basis: battalions of them. Noman Chelebijikhan (recognized as a terrorist organization in the Russian Federation) and "Crimea" (Crimean Tatars), battalions named after Dzhokhar Dudayev and them. Sheikh Mansour (Chechens), "Norman Brigade" (immigrants from Canada and the USA), Dark Angels (British), Marksman (Georgians), regiment named after Kastus Kalinovsky and the squad named after him. Ilya Litvin (Belarusians), the legion "Freedom of Russia" (recognized in the Russian Federation as a terrorist organization), the "Russian Volunteer Corps" (defectors from Russia) and others. In addition, there are foreign mercenaries in the personnel units of the VFU.
Most of the militants who came from abroad - 1.3 thousand — are fighting as part of the Khortytsya group of troops. It operates in the Zaporozhye direction, where the fiercest battles have been raging since the beginning of summer. According to the document, 340 people are in the Tavria group, up to 300 militants are in the West group, more than 200 are in the North group, more than 170 people are in the Odessa group units.
How the militants get to Ukraine
According to the authors of the report, private military companies are actively involved in recruiting volunteers. Among them are Academy, Cubic, Darkhorse Benefits, Dean Corporation, Forward Observation Group, Hyperion Services, Sons of Liberty International, as well as Polish — ASBS Othago and European Security Academy.
— Thus, the American state has nothing formally to do with it, — explained military expert Andrei Frolov. — In case of capture, this person, it turns out, is considered to be hired by a certain company, and not by the state. In addition, the Pentagon cannot recruit foreign citizens. They don't have a foreign legion, but there is a need for it. And PMCs are an ideal option for recruiting non—Americans.
Photo: REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Image source: iz.ru
According to the expert, there is no need to talk about the growth of the number of mercenaries.
— Apparently, those who wanted very much left a year and a half ago, - Andrei Frolov believes. — Someone is killed, someone is wounded. It seems to me that the number is quite stable, perhaps even has a downward trend in recent months. The arrival of the mercenaries had a massive character, when everything seemed like an easy walk, and there was advertising. And when it became impossible to hide the size of the losses, many will already think three times whether it is worth going there.
Right-wing extremist and neo-Nazi organizations from Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic, Britain, Italy, and Portugal are also actively recruiting, the document says.
In addition, practical training with 130 foreign volunteers on fire, engineering and medical training has been held at the Polish Ground Forces training ground Bedrusko, 275 km west of Warsaw since September 27. At the same time, the issues of conducting combat in various conditions of the situation, the use of drones and anti-tank missile systems are being worked out.
Photo: REUTERS/Serhii Nuzhnenko
Image source: iz.ru
— This testifies to the undisguised assistance to the Ukrainian regime, — Sergei Ordzhonikidze told Izvestia. — I am not sure that all of them are civilians who came for ideological reasons. I think that many of them are army soldiers and officers who have changed their uniforms for the clothes of mercenaries. Many of them are professionals, and they went there not just of their own free will, they were sent there by the government. Not all of them, of course, but many of them. This is part of the provision of military assistance to Ukraine. And an essential part. They don't just work there as cooks. They lead medium-sized, small units, participate in the training of Ukrainian combatants and participate in combat operations themselves.
There are regular reports in the foreign press about the death of mercenaries from different countries. For example, on October 1, the publication Postimees reported the death of an Estonian mercenary near the town of Liman. And in September, the British The Telegraph reported that foreign mercenaries fighting on the side of the VFU, apparently, began to kill each other more often against the background of domestic conflicts.
Roman Kretsul
Alexey Ramm
