Russia said Thursday that its forces have killed nearly 6,000 foreign volunteers fighting on the side of Ukraine since Moscow’s full-scale invasion over two years ago.
According to the Defense Ministry, 13,387 “foreign mercenaries” from dozens of countries have fought in Ukraine since February 2022.
Overall, Russian forces have killed 5,962 of those volunteer fighters, it said.
Leading the Defense Ministry’s tally were volunteers from Poland, where 1,497 out of 2,690 fighters were said to have been killed.
In addition, Russian forces were said to have killed 561 fighters from Georgia, 491 from the United States, 422 from Canada, 360 from Britain, 349 from Romania, 147 from France and 88 from Germany.
It was not possible to independently verify the claims.
In the days following Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the creation of an international territorial defense legion consisting of foreigners fighting on behalf of Kyiv.
Among the most prominent foreign units are the Freedom of Russia Legion, the Georgian Legion and the Belarusian Kastus Kalinouski Regiment.
Russia’s military is also known to enlist the help of foreign volunteers as it continues to wage war against Ukraine, recruiting men from African countries, Cuba, Nepal and India, among others.
