The Composition and Challenges of Foreign Fighters in Ukraine

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, 2022, the Ukrainian government invited foreign citizens to join its military forces. While this invitation is not without precedent, Kiev’s approach to foreign fighters differs from that seen in recent conflicts. This paper examines the characteristics defining Ukraine’s approach to foreign fighters and highlights challenges these fighters have faced. It argues that the foreign fighters in Ukraine mainly come from Western countries and primarily serve an outward-facing role, internationalizing the conflict and in order to sway Western public opinion while offering relatively limited operational benefits. Logistical issues and a lack of experience, especially experience relevant to the context of a conventional war, have together resulted in low morale, further plaguing the attempt to use foreign volunteers.