Authors: Mariia Panchenko, Analysis Fellow at Pryncyp; Vladyslav Urubkov, Former Analyst at Pryncyp.
We now have analyzed how foreigners serve within the Protection Forces of Ukraine and the systemic challenges they face. We look at this by following the logic of their 'pathway' from recruitment to fight operations and a army profession. We additionally analyze adverse eventualities that require explicit consideration: remedy after accidents, together with household assist in instances of captivity, lacking in motion, or loss of life in service.
Service construction and authorized standing
Foreigners have been combating within the Protection Forces of Ukraine because the starting of the Russian-Ukrainian struggle, and after the full-scale invasion their quantity elevated exponentially. As of August 2025, greater than 8,000 overseas service members have been serving within the Floor Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and no less than twice that quantity have been serving throughout the Protection Forces of Ukraine as a complete. This estimate was given on the time in a remark to Hromadske by Kostiantyn Milevskyi, Appearing Head of the Coordination Unit for Foreigners' Army Service within the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
There are two primary codecs of service for foreigners. The primary one entails specialised models composed primarily of overseas volunteers: the Worldwide Legions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a part of the Floor Forces (that are to be disbanded by the tip of 2025), the Worldwide Legion of the Major Directorate of Intelligence, the Kastus Kalnouski Regiment, the Russian Volunteer Corps, and others. The second format is service by foreigners inside common fight brigades, regiments, and battalions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Nationwide Guard of Ukraine.
International service members serve underneath the identical circumstances as Ukrainian residents: They signal contracts, perform fight missions, and obtain similar pay relying on place and circumstances of service. A contract for a overseas service member serves as the idea for lawful keep in Ukraine and successfully capabilities as a residence allow throughout service.
Recruitment and enlistment
In keeping with the models surveyed, initiatives to work with overseas personnel normally come 'from the underside up', as a part of growth and growth efforts. Recruiting foreigners requires further organizational efforts: translation, doc assist, and interplay with varied establishments.
There are two recruitment eventualities. If a foreigner is already in Ukraine, they could apply to the Middle for Recruiting Foreigners and Stateless Individuals, Territorial Middle of Recruitment and Social Help (TCR and SS), recruitment facilities, or on to the army unit during which they want to serve. After submitting an software, the candidate undergoes a particular screening on the Middle for Recruiting Foreigners (a separate process applies in Major Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Protection models). For many who are overseas, the trail to service begins with filling out an internet software type. That is adopted by an interview, a call on recruitment, screening, and contract signing. The contracts mirror these of Ukrainian service members, with one key distinction – a foreigner has the best to terminate the contract after six months of service.
A overseas service member should additionally open an account with a Ukrainian financial institution to obtain pay. This requires a Registration Variety of the Taxpayer Registration Card (RNOKPP), which is normally issued after the contract is signed. The army unit assists overseas service members on this course of.
Service and army profession
The first function of foreigners within the Protection Forces of Ukraine is participation in energetic operations immediately on the road of contact. Foreigners are hardly ever assigned to rear-area capabilities resulting from language obstacles; furthermore, they themselves are usually not very all in favour of rear positions, since monetary motivation is likely one of the key elements for them.
International service members function in small teams of 6 to eight folks, shaped based mostly on the language they converse. This construction permits for quick and clear communication in fight. Such teams make up separate overseas platoons, and platoons in flip type firms.
Till October 2024, foreigners couldn’t maintain officer positions. The best formal stage obtainable to them was non-commissioned officer positions, though in observe skilled foreigners typically led assault teams or carried out the duties of platoon commanders. This restriction has now been lifted.
Language barrier continues to be a essential systemic problem. Colombians represent the most important group of overseas service members, comprising as much as 95% of the overseas personnel in sure models and sometimes with little command of both Ukrainian or English. There’s a essential scarcity of interpreters: for each 100-120 foreigners, there are between 1 and seven interpreters, whereas the precise want is no less than 10. In consequence, interpreters are primarily used for fight communication, and there are sometimes inadequate assets for paperwork and administrative procedures.
Army studies, paperwork, and combatant standing
All army studies within the Protection Forces of Ukraine are submitted in Ukrainian. Foreigners don’t have entry to the Military+ service and are due to this fact compelled to submit paperwork solely on paper. Since they don’t converse Ukrainian, they can’t file studies themselves; in observe, fellow troopers, clerks, or commanders deal with this for them.
Related difficulties come up with acquiring the combatant standing. Some foreigners don’t submit the required paperwork as a result of language barrier or as a result of they don’t perceive the significance of this standing for social ensures and advantages.
Healthcare: vulnerabilities within the system
Language and cultural obstacles are particularly pronounced in the course of the remedy of injured service members. Items lack personnel able to offering assist who additionally converse overseas languages, whereas interpreters are centered on fight duties. In consequence, communication with wounded service members in hospitals is commonly fragmented.
International service members ceaselessly fail to inform commanders about transfers between hospitals or fail to submit medical certificates and discharge summaries. These points create dangers, together with being mistakenly recorded as AWOL, missed funds, and issues throughout subsequent phases of care.
One other complicated situation is incapacity dedication via the Knowledgeable Groups For Assessing Particular person's Day by day Functioning. A referral from a health care provider is important for the professional fee, and the physician initially verifies whether or not the overseas nationwide is in Ukraine legally (a contract with the Protection Forces serves as this authorized foundation). The physician should then enter the affected person's passport particulars and Registration Variety of the Taxpayer Registration Card (RNOKPP), if any, into the medical portal (e.g., Helsi). Beforehand, the system required a Ukrainian passport or residence allow quantity and wouldn’t enable a overseas passport or contract quantity for use. Nevertheless, Pryncyp's social media pages cited an occasion the place a referral was efficiently issued utilizing a army ID quantity. In any case, if difficulties come up on the stage of coming into info into the healthcare system, the difficulty may be resolved via the NHSU hotline.
Discharge from service
After discharge, a foreigner now not has authorized grounds to stay in Ukraine if their contract served as the idea for his or her keep. Within the worst instances, this may result in placement in a short lived detention middle for foreigners and even deportation, which may be extraordinarily harmful as a result of danger of prison prosecution.
To acquire a short lived residence allow after discharge, a overseas veteran should meet one of many three circumstances: full a three-year contract, accumulate a complete of 180 days of fight service, or be discharged by the choice of the Army Medical Commissions (MMC). In observe, even when these standards are met, foreigners face difficulties confirming service and interacting with the State Migration Service.
Households of foreigners – probably the most weak group
The households of overseas service members have the identical social ensures because the households of Ukrainian troopers: the best to partial compensation in instances of captivity or lacking in motion, in addition to a one-time fee of UAH 15 million within the occasion of loss of life (aside from residents or residents of Russia or Belarus).
Nevertheless, in observe, households typically face the system alone. Difficulties start on the notification stage: in line with the process, info is transmitted from the army unit to the Territorial Middle of Recruitment and Social Help (TCR and SS), then to the Major Directorate for Army Cooperation, and after that – via the diplomatic mission of the house nation – on to the household. The precise company that contacts the household (police, disaster middle, or diplomats) will depend on the nation of residence. The method is complicated and prolonged, so some army models or fellow service members contact households immediately, regardless that that is prohibited by official rules.
Difficult household relationships may also create obstacles to receiving advantages. If a service member had civil partnerships, kids with a number of companions, incomplete details about them may end up in the lack of eligibility for advantages as a result of submission of inaccurate info.
Forms presents a further problem. To obtain advantages, the household should contact the diplomatic mission of their nation of residence, put together a set of paperwork, and moreover have a consultant in Ukraine who can submit paperwork to the TCR and SS on their behalf, open a checking account in a Ukrainian state financial institution, and carry out financial institution transactions.
One other situation is DNA testing. Many overseas service members don’t submit their DNA samples upfront. Moreover, alternatives for households to endure testing overseas are restricted: licensed laboratories that may transmit outcomes to Ukraine function in just a few nations. This creates further uncertainty and delays each the authorized recognition of loss of life and the receipt of funds.
In consequence, households are left in a weak place. With out accessible info and systemic assist, even legally assured advantages are largely symbolic slightly than sensible for them.
Conclusions and suggestions
International service members perform fight missions on the identical phrases as Ukrainians and formally have the identical ensures. Nevertheless, the system doesn’t all the time take note of the language, cultural, and procedural elements of their service. In consequence, foreigners typically stay 'invisible' navigating forms, medical remedy, and funds on their very own, with the language barrier exacerbating these issues.
In tough conditions, one mustn’t face issues alone. International service members within the Ukrainian Ministry of Protection and their households can contact the Major Directorate for the Safety of Service Members' Rights. Human Rights Middle for Army Personnel and Veterans PRYNCYP has created a Authorized Navigator for Foreigners and Stateless Individuals – some extent of entry with primary procedures and explanations. This software can function a primary step towards a extra clear and humane system for individuals who have consciously chosen to combat for Ukraine.
