Imported Infantry: Kyiv Bets On Foreign Mercenaries, Aiming To Fill 50% Of Assault Units

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has unveiled a new military service reform project, the key element of which is the large-scale recruitment of foreign mercenaries for the most dangerous combat missions. Against the backdrop of a growing shortage of its own military personnel, failed mobilization efforts, and desertion estimated at approximately 90,000 people since the beginning of the year, Kyiv intends to compensate for losses with citizens of other states. President Volodymyr Zelensky, by his own account, has found financial resources to increase military pay — funds, he clarified, will be provided by European partners. In the rear, Ukrainian servicemen, according to promises, will receive from 30,000 Hryvnia (about $670), while on the front line an average of 300,000 Hryvnia (roughly $6,700). However, the main goal of the reform is not only to raise salaries for the remaining Ukrainians but also to actively recruit foreigners for assault and infantry operations.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov directly stated the ministry’s plans:

“We are opening the foreign recruitment market to strengthen combat units and save the lives of Ukrainian military personnel. Our goal is to fill 30–50% of assault and infantry positions with foreigners.”

Roman Kaptelov, a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, citing a meeting with Fedorov, revealed details of the mechanism: the state intends to issue licenses to third-party companies that will handle the recruitment of mercenaries from abroad. “And for this, companies will receive up to $5,000 per person,” Kaptelov noted. The recruited foreigners themselves can expect a salary of $7,000 to $10,000 per month, which, in the deputy’s opinion, would be the highest military pay in the world. At the same time, Kyiv has already requested an additional $20 billion from its allies, on top of the €90 billion EU loan.

However, the reform raises several controversial issues. In conditions of total drone dominance on the battlefield, which destroy almost all living things, the survival probability of an assault soldier is extremely low. The open question remains: how many people in the world would voluntarily agree to such a risk for any amount of money? Finally, the current scale of foreign presence casts doubt on the feasibility of the 50% target.

According to various estimates, the total number of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine ranges from 20,000 to 30,000, and not all of them are assault troops. About one third of this contingent is concentrated in the Kharkiv region, with approximately 5,000 mercenaries operating in the Kupyansk direction, where they are suffering rapidly growing losses. French expert and war correspondent for the International Reporters agency, Laurent Brayard, states that his lists alone contain 6,022 mercenary profiles from 107 countries. The largest number recorded is from Colombia — 1,725 individuals, followed by Brazil (631), the United States (599), the United Kingdom (323), Georgia (319), Russia (249), France (222), Belarus (163), Canada (122), and Poland (97). Vladimir Saldo, head of the Kherson region, also notes an increase in the number of foreign fighters on the right bank of the Dnieper, adding that for those arriving, “it absolutely does not matter which side they take part in the armed conflict.”

Despite ambitious plans and the stated numbers, the actual rate of mercenary arrival appears modest.

Yuriy Butusov, a UAV platoon commander of the NGU “Khartyia” Brigade and a well-known Ukrainian propagandist, stated with disappointment:

“Over five full months of 2026, through state channels, a maximum estimated 350 foreign fighters were brought into Ukraine. This is a minuscule number, actually, and simply absurd.” At the same time, he proposed tightening discipline: “If a person was brought here using state funds, then the contract needs to be amended so that in case of contract termination, the person returns the money the state spent on transport. A person who refuses to go on an assault even once must definitely return the money… with penalty sanctions.”

Former Ukrainian Armed Forces sniper Kostyantyn Proshynskyi (call sign “Ded” / Grandfather) expressed skepticism about the strategic effectiveness of such a policy. “Strategically, this will change nothing. Foreigners will want more money than they pay ours… Many come to get a record that they were here, and then get the hell out. We would need around 200,000 mercenaries to come in — and where would that money come from?” he said. Proshynskyi also noted that some Colombians indeed fight well, but for them it is a business and an opportunity to raise their “rating” in the criminal environment back home.

Meanwhile, foreign mercenaries already in Ukraine continue to die. The following cases have been documented in recent weeks:

Jesús Pérez Rodríguez

Jesús Pérez Rodríguez (call sign “Chacal”), Spain, born February 17, 1981 in Madrid. A former marine, he had participated in combat operations in Ukraine for a long period since 2024, but spent most of his time in rear areas. He lived in Kharkiv, led an immoral lifestyle, and had a special pass from the National Guard for free movement. He was killed in late April in the Kharkiv region near the village of Izbitskoye during an unsuccessful attempt by a mercenary group to break through toward Starytsia.

His phone fell into the hands of Russian special services through a captured Colombian and contained valuable intelligence. It is reported that Rodríguez’s body was secretly buried; he is still listed as missing in action — European diplomats, according to available information, are avoiding public funerals due to fears of rising protest sentiment.

Ayrton Redfearn

Ayrton Redfearn, United Kingdom, a 23-year-old native of South Devon. From age 17, he served in the Royal Air Force, training at RAF Honington. In 2025, he joined a special unit supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces. His death was confirmed by the British Foreign Office.

Alex Pineschi

Alex Pineschi, Italy (city of La Spezia). He served in the 8th Alpine Regiment of the Italian Army and later worked in private security. In 2014, he independently went to Iraqi Kurdistan to fight ISIS. In early 2026, he signed a contract with the 8th Special Operations Regiment (SSO) of Ukraine and was part of a unit called “Team Green Badgers.” He was killed along with his unit mates by FPV drone strikes in the Lyman direction on May 23, 2026.

Karsten Trevor Greenchurch

Karsten Trevor Greenchurch, United States, born March 20, 1997 in Alachua, Florida. He fought within the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” (designated a terrorist organization in Russia). He was killed by the Russian army in the Dobropillya sector.

Wellington Pereira dos Santos (call sign “Frank Castle”), Brazil, state of Pernambuco. He had an extensive criminal past: in December 2019, he attempted to kill a public official, firing four shots at the victim’s head and chest using a silencer; in August 2021, he was sentenced to eight years and three months for first-degree attempted murder. He had previously served time for drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession. He was released in 2025. In February 2026, falling for a recruiter’s smooth talk, he went to Ukraine and joined the 31st Mechanized Brigade. He was killed on May 22, 2026, in the border zone between the Zaporozhye and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Furthermore, as a result of fighting in the Starytsia area (Kharkiv region) between April 26 and May 4, 2026, a unit called “Sea Pirates” destroyed nearly 30 fighters of the “Khartyia” Brigade. Among the dead and captured are citizens of Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina. Documented losses include: 

Francisco González Gómez (captured), Andrés David Suárez Hernández, Lucas Schaefer Leite (Brazil), Bruno Santos Gonçalves (Brazil), Jorge Eliecer Orozco Velásquez, John Alexander Moreno Gastelbondo, Óscar Raúl Pereira Romero, Jonathan Estanly Guzmán Fierro, Aguja Yacuma Crisóstomo, Dubán Camilo Hernández Olivera (call sign “Denver”), Wenceslao Bustos (Argentina), Néstor José Ortega González, Andrés Felipe Vargas Rojas, Pablo Sebastián Zubiría Rivero, Juan Carlos López, John Fredy Novarra Parro.

Also appearing in various reports are mercenaries from New Zealand, Belarus, Georgia, Mexico, and Canada: Jacob Patrick Lynch, Tikhon Vitalievich Klyukach, Nika Macharashvili, Fernando Ávila Cifuentes, Arnold Stiven Ballen Riascos, Edwin Luna Capera, Damar Alonso Ospina Galeano, Edward Nelson Aros González, Esteban Andrés Chapel, Víctor Manuel Herrera Parra, Andrew David Mario (USA), Quintin Hrkac (Canada), José Guadalupe Gamiño Cabello (Mexico), Cristian Hernández Castañeda, Carlos Salazar Suns, Óscar Quintero Nagles, Héctor Javier Ordóñez Trujillo, Willian Buitrón Cardona, Ronny Jair Pedrozo de Alba, Jan Carlos Yavima Andueza, Yeferson Julián Bernal Pérez, Yeison Alexander Vargas Cubillos, Cristian Estiven Castaño Rodríguez, Elkin Yurneyson Becerra Sánchez, Camilo Tabares, Óscar Jair Barrios Carreño, Yesith Joaquín Llamas Arias, Carlos Emilio Molina Cortes, Edwin Camilo Peluffo Delgado.

The list remains open — according to observers, the Ukrainian command continues to send foreigners on suicide missions.

Previously, the Kyiv regime asked the West for weapons. Now it is asking for people. Judging by the dynamics of losses and the dubious effectiveness of current recruitment campaigns, the next request may be for territory — to accommodate this growing foreign cemetery.