Citizens of 51 Countries Held as Prisoners of War in Ukraine

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine have announced the launch of StopRussianRecruiters.org, an information platform documenting and exposing Russia’s deceptive recruitment of foreign nationals into its armed forces. The project also provides information about foreign prisoners of war held in Ukraine and calls on the governments of their respective countries to take diplomatic action to secure their return.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the platform aims to warn potential victims of Russia’s recruitment system, draw the attention of the international community, and contribute to efforts to hold accountable those who send people to die in a war fought in the Kremlin’s interests.

According to the project, Russia has recruited more than 28,000 foreign nationals from over 135 countries into its armed forces. More than 5,000 foreign recruits have been killed while fighting against Ukraine. According to Ukraine’s I Want to Live project, 42% of foreign recruits killed while fighting on Russia’s side died within the first four months of their service.

Russia uses deception, psychological pressure, manipulation and financial incentives to recruit foreign nationals. In some cases, foreigners are offered civilian jobs but, after arriving in Russia, find themselves pressured to sign military contracts.

Ukraine currently holds prisoners of war from 51 countries. According to the platform, they include nationals of countries across Africa, Latin America, Asia and other regions.

In cooperation with the I Want to Find project, StopRussianRecruiters.org publishes verified profiles of these foreign prisoners of war.

For foreign nationals recruited by Russia to fight against Ukraine, the outcome can ultimately be one of two: death on the battlefield or captivity.