---
title: "Russia Recruits Nearly 46,000 Foreigners for War Against Ukraine — General Usov"
description: "According to General Dmytro Usov, nearly 46,000 foreigners from 151 countries have already signed contracts with the Russian army. The statement was made at the Crimea Global conference."
date: 2026-10-19T13:11:52.081Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/russia-recruits-46000-foreigners-war
tags: [russia, ukraine-war, foreign-contractors, military, prisoners-of-war]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Russia Recruits Nearly 46,000 Foreigners for War Against Ukraine — General Usov

![A group of foreign contract soldiers of the Russian army wearing headphones sit indoors during a press conference](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/19/rossiya-privlekla-46-tysyach-inozemcev-na-voynu/rossiya-privlekla-46-tysyach-inozemcev-na-voynu-1.webp)

## Key Points

- The number of foreign contract soldiers in the Russian army has grown to nearly 46,000 people from 151 countries, stated General Dmytro Usov at the Crimea Global conference.
- In 2022, only 94 contracts were recorded; this year the Russian Ministry of Defense plans 18,500, of which 16,168 have already been signed.
- 41% of surveyed foreigners concluded contracts through enlistment offices and recruitment centers, indicating the systematic nature of recruitment.
- Since the invasion began, citizens of 59 countries have been captured; the Ukrainian side knows the personal data of every foreign contractor.

At the fourth international conference «Crimea Global. Understanding Ukraine through the South», Dmytro Usov, Brigadier General and Secretary of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, presented updated data on the involvement of foreign citizens in combat operations as part of the Russian armed forces. According to him, since the previous conference session, the figure has grown from 28,000 individuals from 138 countries to nearly 46,000 contract soldiers representing 151 nations worldwide.

### Recruitment Dynamics: From Hundreds to Tens of Thousands

Usov stressed that the involvement of foreigners in the war against Ukraine exhibits a steadily growing trend. While in 2022, during the first months of the full-scale invasion, only 94 signed contracts were recorded, today the figures are in the tens of thousands. According to his data, this year the Russian Ministry of Defense plans to conclude 18,500 contracts with foreigners, of which 16,168 have already been signed. The general also noted that the Ukrainian side possesses the personal data of every foreign contractor: their rank, military ID number, and the date the agreement was concluded.

### Geography and Systematic Nature of the Campaign

The general pointed out the top ten countries driving the main increase in the number of recruits, adding that thanks to the work of Ukrainian structures, the recruitment of citizens from several states has been reduced or completely stopped. At the same time, he reported that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine's security and defense forces have captured citizens of 59 countries. According to Usov, 41% of surveyed foreigners stated that their contracts were concluded through military enlistment offices and recruitment centers, which, in his assessment, indicates the systematic nature of the Russian mercenary recruitment campaign.

### Contractor Motivation

Among the key motives driving foreigners to sign contracts, Usov cited promised payments for signing the agreement and performing service, as well as statutory benefits. He emphasized that the financial component remains the primary tool of the recruitment machine, operating through official and semi-official recruitment channels.

### Context: Avoiding the Frontline and Covert Mobilization

Earlier, according to RBK-Ukraine citing the Main Directorate of Intelligence, Russian contract soldiers have been trying by various means to avoid being sent to the frontline in Ukraine and participating in assault operations. Concurrently within Russia itself, according to available data, so-called covert mobilization is spreading, where violent detentions and coercion to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense are becoming routine practice. Against this backdrop, the growing number of foreign mercenaries appears to Kyiv to be a logical consequence of domestic volunteer shortages.

### Scale Assessment

The figures presented at the conference, if confirmed by subsequent intelligence data, record one of the most noticeable shifts in the structure of the Russian army throughout the conflict: a transition from targeted recruitment of individual foreigners to mass, institutionalized recruitment of citizens from over 150 countries. For Ukraine, according to Usov, this means both an expansion in the range of nationalities among prisoners of war and the need to adapt the system for their treatment and exchange.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Россия привлекла почти 46 тысяч иностранцев на войну против Украины](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rosiya-zaluchila-mayzhe-46-tisyach-inozemtsiv-1792414187.html) - Primary source: statement by Brigadier General Dmytro Usov at the Crimea Global conference. All numerical figures (28→46k, 138→151 countries, 94 contracts in 2022, target 18,500 / signed 16,168, 59 countries among prisoners, 41% through enlistment offices) were provided by him. The Russian side is not quoted in the material, and there is no independent cross-verification of the figures.

## FAQ

### How many foreigners, according to Usov, have signed contracts with the Russian army?

Nearly 46,000 people from 151 countries worldwide; at the previous conference, the figure was 28,000 from 138 countries.

### What recruitment target for the current year does the general cite?

The Russian Ministry of Defense plans to conclude 18,500 contracts with foreigners, of which, according to him, 16,168 have already been signed.

### What is known about the motivation of foreign contractors?

Usov points to promised payments for signing the contract and serving, as well as statutory benefits; 41% of respondents concluded agreements through enlistment offices and recruitment centers.