Russia Is Not Seeking the Return of Foreign Fighters Captured by Ukraine

Russia is not seeking the return of foreign military personnel who were fighting on its side and were captured by Ukraine.

According to the French newspaper Le Monde, once these foreign fighters fell into Ukrainian captivity, Russia refused to include them on prisoner-exchange lists.

The media reports that Moscow has shown little interest in securing their return, effectively excluding them from prisoner swap agreements with Ukraine.

The prisoners of war include citizens of countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America who signed contracts with Russia’s Ministry of Defense.

Many of them went to fight in Ukraine after being promised high salaries and the prospect of obtaining Russian citizenship.

As a result, these foreign fighters often remain in Ukrainian detention facilities for years, with no clear prospects for release.

Some of them are unable to return to their home countries due to a lack of necessary documents or because their countries of origin are unwilling to handle their cases.

According to Le Monde, the Ukrainian authorities are trying to comply with international humanitarian law in their treatment of such prisoners of war. At the same time, their status is often more complicated than that of Russian servicemen.

The issue has become particularly noticeable as the number of foreign nationals serving in Russia’s armed forces has increased over the course of the war. According to Western journalists, those held in captivity include citizens of Nepal, Somalia, Yemen, Sri Lanka, and other countries.

Most of these recruits come from developing countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, where limited economic opportunities make promises of high pay particularly appealing.

In late May 2026, Militarnyi reported that Ukrainian forces in the Kharkiv region killed a 34-year-old Nigerian national, Ayebusiva Olabode Victor, who had reportedly been recruited through a sophisticated scheme that lured foreigners into Russia’s war effort.

According to the report, he signed a contract with the Russian military just one week after the government of Nigeria publicly raised concerns about the illegal recruitment of its citizens for participation in foreign armed conflicts.

The story of active recruitment of foreigners is not new: as early as 2024, it became known that Russia was actively recruiting people in African countries, including Rwanda, Burundi, the Congo, and Uganda.