Defense Intelligence of Ukraine: Russians Brand Their Mercenaries with Inventory Numbers

Russia is assigning serial numbers to foreign mercenaries recruited into its occupying forces as a way to tighten control over them and strip them of their individual identities.

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reported that these so-called “inventory numbers” are marked on the mercenaries’ equipment or even directly on their skin, instead of using standard metal military identification tags.

Durable dyes, including henna and jagua, are used for the marking. These markings can remain on the skin for several weeks and cannot be washed off with ordinary soap and water. If the number becomes difficult to see, it is reapplied.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian police have already stopped foreigners, including students and migrant workers, and checked them for the presence of such numbers. In this way, Russian law enforcement is attempting to identify deserters among foreign nationals.

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine notes that the markings may be used not only to control foreign mercenaries, but also to conceal the Russian army’s actual losses. In particular, the bodies of killed foreign nationals may be left on the battlefield and registered as “unknown,” while the mercenaries themselves may be listed as missing.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, this allows Russia to avoid paying the compensation owed to their families in Africa and Asia.

The information gathered by Ukrainian intelligence is shared with foreign partners and law enforcement agencies for use in materials for future international investigations and tribunals concerning Russia’s military and political leadership.

Recruitment of Foreigners into the Russian Army

Russia recruits foreigners to participate in the war against Ukraine through deception and false employment offers. Potential recruits may be promised well-paid civilian jobs, only to find themselves pressured to sign a contract with Russia’s Ministry of Defense.

Citizens of African countries are offered jobs at various enterprises, but once they arrive in Russia, the terms may change: their passports may be confiscated, and they may be forced to agree to military service.

Foreign tourists have also become another source of recruits for the Russian army. People who travel to Russia for tourism may be lured by promises of earning money and, once in the country, have their presence exploited to recruit them into the Russian military.

Recently, Defense Intelligence of Ukraine soldiers eliminated migrants from Kyrgyzstan who had been recruited into the Russian army.

Russia is recruiting migrant workers from Kyrgyzstan to fight in the war against Ukraine, exploiting their vulnerable circumstances and problems with documentation. One such case involves Denis Alekseyev, a Kyrgyz citizen who was in Russia, apparently as a migrant worker. On May 5, 2026, he signed a one-year contract with the Russian army in Moscow.

On May 5, Alekseyev signed a one-year contract with the Russian army in Moscow. After a brief period of training, he was sent to the Donetsk region as a first-class rifleman, where he was killed by the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine near the settlement of Lypove.

Another Kyrgyz citizen, Dastan Tagayev, was living in Novosibirsk as a migrant worker. In September 2025, Russian law enforcement accused him of illegally staying in Russia. Facing the threat of imprisonment over expired documents, he signed a contract with the Russian army.

In June, Tagayev was sent to the Zaporizhzhia front, where he was killed. Thus, in these cases, Russian law enforcement authorities used migrants’ legal status, documentation problems, and the threat of criminal prosecution as leverage to recruit them to fight in the war against Ukraine.