Ukraine now holds prisoners of war (POWs) from 51 countries who fought for Russia, Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian parliament’s human rights commissioner, said on 4 August.
The figure illustrates the global reach of Moscow’s efforts to replenish its forces with foreign recruits. Russia has targeted people abroad with promises of well-paid jobs, university places, and military salaries. Some enlist knowingly. Others report being deceived or pressured into service.
Speaking at a meeting of heads of Ukraine’s foreign diplomatic missions, Lubinets said joining Russia’s war carries “real legal consequences.” He did not disclose the prisoners’ nationalities or their total number.
The human cost extends beyond those captured. A July 2026 BBC Russian Service/Mediazona investigation documented at least 3,589 foreign nationals who had died fighting for Russia. The total comprised 1,285 people from more than 40 countries and 2,304 North Korean troops.
Russia throws its recruitment net across the globe
Moscow has increasingly looked abroad for soldiers as its invasion consumes manpower. Recruiters focus heavily on Africa, Asia, and Latin America, offering civilian work, education, high salaries, or military service.
A human rights investigation covered by Euromaidan Press found that Russia had recruited at least 27,000 people from more than 130 countries since February 2022. Researchers said recruits often received Russian-language contracts they could not understand, while some faced threats or rapid deployment to combat.
China asks Ukraine to treat Chinese POWs well, but doesn’t say if it wants them back
In Africa, recruitment operates within a broader Russian soft power influence network. Russian Houses offer language courses and routes into Russian universities. Ukraine’s military intelligence describes Russian Houses as a pipeline through which some young Africans reach Russia as students or workers and later enter Moscow’s army.
Beyond Africa, Russia preys upon the disadvantaged with promises of work. An Associated Press investigation found that Bangladeshi men promised cleaning jobs in Russia were instead sent into combat.
Foreign recruits abandoned after capture
For those captured, neither Russia nor their home governments offer a clear route home. Ukraine’s POW Coordination Headquarters said Moscow had excluded foreign recruits from prisoner exchanges, although some embassies had visited their citizens.
A Kenyan Foreign Ministry official stated the government was following reports of several trafficked Kenyans held as POWs in Ukraine. Yet Ukrainian POW official Petro Yatsenko said most African governments showed little interest in bringing their citizens home.
China likewise asked Ukraine to treat two captured Chinese fighters humanely, but did not say whether it sought their return. Ukrainian officials said Russia had inquired only about captured North Korean soldiers, showing little interest in other foreign fighters in captivity.
