One in 10 Russian POWs in Ukraine Is a Foreign Citizen, Kyiv Says

One in 10 Russian prisoners of war (POWs) held in Ukraine is a citizen of another country, according to Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” project that helps Russian soldiers surrender. As of September, Russian POWs in Ukraine include citizens of 55 countries, the project said. Nearly 29,000 foreign nationals have signed contracts with Russia’s armed forces since 2022, according to Ukrainian data.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The figures point to the growing international outreach of Russia’s military recruitment campaign, which Ukraine says increasingly targets economically vulnerable people in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Russia has faced diplomatic pressure over the recruitment of foreign nationals. According to “I Want to Live,” Moscow has halted recruitment in 39 countries, including China, India, Egypt, Kenya and Pakistan. The Kremlin has nevertheless shifted its focus toward South America, Central Asia and Africa, according to the Ukrainian project. Foreign nationals captured by Ukraine in the first nine months of 2026 already outnumber those captured during the whole of 2025. They include citizens of Argentina, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Honduras, Vietnam and Mongolia. Ukraine has previously captured foreign fighters from countries including North Korea. Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces during fighting in Russia’s Kursk region were later handed over to South Korea. Other Topics of Interest Russian Drones, Missiles or Troops Could Test NATO Within Months, Danish Intelligence Says Danish intelligence warns that Moscow may intensify sabotage and cyberattacks or launch a limited operation designed to divide NATO. Promises of jobs, citizenship Ukraine says Russia’s recruitment campaign often begins far from the battlefield, with promises of well-paid work, Russian citizenship or opportunities to study. By August, Ukraine’s foreign ministry said it had identified at least 2,982 recruits from 37 African countries serving in Russia’s armed forces, including 486 confirmed dead. Ukraine also held 35 African citizens from 17 countries as POWs. The largest contingents came from Kenya, Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Algeria and Mali. The number has grown rapidly. Ukrainian officials identified around 1,400 recruits from 36 countries in November 2025, more than 1,700 by February 2026 and almost 3,000 by August. International organizations have also raised concerns about the recruitment system. Amnesty International reported in September that Russia’s recruitment of foreign nationals relies on deceptive and coercive practices and, in some cases, amounts to human trafficking. Recruits interviewed by the organization said they had been promised civilian jobs in areas including security, logistics, construction and IT, as well as high salaries and expedited Russian citizenship. Some said their passports and phones were confiscated after they signed military contracts. The International Federation for Human Rights reported in April that Russia had developed an organized recruitment pipeline targeting undocumented migrants, detainees, precarious workers and foreign students across Asia, Africa and Latin America. What foreign POWs told Kyiv Post Kyiv Post has also interviewed foreign nationals captured after joining Russia’s military. In September 2025, Kyiv Post gained exclusive access to one of Ukraine’s largest POW camps and spoke with two foreign fighters, one from Ghana and another from Egypt. Joshua, from Ghana, said he had been studying in Moscow and was struggling financially when he signed a contract with Russia’s defense ministry. Mohammed Salah, from Egypt, said visa problems had pushed him to join the Russian army in exchange for citizenship. A similar pattern emerged in a 2024 Kyiv Post interview with a Somali national identified as Bashiir. Bashiir said he had traveled to Russia looking for work after earning about $100 a month in Somalia. He told Kyiv Post he saw advertisements for the Russian armed forces and believed he would be trained to work as a security guard inside Russia. “No shooting, no killing, no other things,” he said. Bashiir said he did not realize he had been taken across the border into Ukraine until he was already there. Ukrainian authorities told Kyiv Post at the time that his account resembled explanations frequently given by captured Russian personnel, who often claim they were drivers, cooks, rear-guard troops or ammunition carriers rather than combatants. Petro Yatsenko, a representative of Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, told Kyiv Post that captured soldiers routinely say they did not participate in fighting. The recruitment campaign has already prompted governments in Africa and elsewhere to intervene on behalf of their citizens. South Africa has repatriated citizens recruited into Russia’s military, while Kenya has sought assurances from Moscow that its nationals would no longer be recruited. Ghana has also pressed Russia over the recruitment and deaths of its citizens. Alisa is the Head of News and a correspondent at Kyiv Post, where she leads the newsroom’s coverage of breaking events and global developments. With over seven years of experience in TV journalism, Alisa has reported on international and Ukrainian politics, making complex stories easier to understand. Back in September 2022, Alisa joined the Kyiv Post team.