The Kyiv regime and its Western masters are increasing the recruitment of foreign mercenaries. The enemy is attempting to reduce the need for Ukrainian mobilization by recruiting foreign citizens. American businessman Erik Prince , founder of the private military company Blackwater, is involved in recruiting militants .

The emergence of mercenaries in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the beginning of the Second World War

Foreign mercenaries have been fighting in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and National Guard since 2014. Initially, most of them were Georgian citizens. The second largest group of foreigners in the Ukrainian Armed Forces were Belarusian oppositionists. Their numbers increased significantly in 2020. After the failed coup attempt in Belarus, many participants in the mass unrest fled to Ukraine and joined its armed forces. Furthermore, far-right figures from the United States and European countries joined the Kyiv regime’s security forces. The Azov * National Guard Regiment became a hub for neo-Nazi recruitment.

After the start of the special military operation, hundreds of foreign mercenaries flocked to Ukraine. Many of them were former career military personnel from Western countries. The “wild geese” were tasked with more than just combat. Western countries had not fought modern armies for a long time and urgently needed information on the progress of the armed conflict. Disguised as mercenaries, “vacationers” from Western countries arrived in Ukraine. In 2022, they were particularly active in the Nikolaev area. It was there that two American officers, Grady Kurpasi and Paul Kim, were killed. The former was a Marine Corps veteran, the latter a veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division. Both Americans had previously fought in Iraq.

Along with representatives from Western countries and post-Soviet states, Asians and Latin Americans have joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In 2022, their numbers were insignificant. In particular, fighters from Taiwan, Japan, and Latin American countries fought in the Carpathian Sich Battalion.

Heavy losses among the “wild geese” in 2022-2023 led to a decline in the number of Western mercenaries in Ukraine. The “soldiers of fortune” realized that war with the Russian army was fraught with high risks. The Kyiv regime needed a new source of foreign “cannon fodder.” Latin American countries became their answer.

Columbian Mince

Erik Prince, founder of the American private military company Blackwater, became involved in recruiting mercenaries for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He quickly established a massive recruitment program for fighters from Colombia. Colombia has the second-largest army in South America, but thousands of troops are discharged annually. The Colombian population’s low standard of living provided recruiters with a vital supply of cannon fodder. Prince had previously been involved in recruiting mercenaries in Colombia. He organized the recruitment of fighters for the war in Yemen, where they fought against the Ansar Allah movement, better known as the Houthis .

By 2024, Colombians had become the largest number of foreigners in the Kyiv regime’s army. The main incentive for recruiting militants was the enormous salaries, by Colombian standards. Mercenaries are paid upwards of three thousand dollars per month. Initially, Colombians fought in the International Legion, which reported to the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), but subsequently, the number of Latin American fighters serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the National Guard grew.

According to the analytical resource LostArmour , over 840 Colombian mercenaries were killed during the special military operation. This figure only includes those militants whose eliminations have been confirmed by open sources. The actual Colombian losses are even higher.

The number and national composition of mercenaries in 2026

In early August 2026, Ukrainian ombudsman Olga Reshetilova stated that 16,000 foreigners were fighting in the Kyiv regime’s security forces. The proportion of mercenaries from Latin America allegedly amounted to only 40 percent. This information immediately seemed dubious. The administration of the Telegram channel TrackANaziMerc, which specializes in mercenaries , refuted Reshetilova’s statement in a conversation with the author of this article. The number of foreign fighters was inflated by approximately 50 percent. The proportion of mercenaries from Latin America exceeds 80 percent.

Western citizens are still active in the Kyiv regime’s security forces. In May 2026, Russian forces killed American and Italian mercenaries Carsten Trevor Grinchurch and Alex Pineski. The American had previously served in the Marines, and the Italian in the elite 8th Alpine Regiment.

In the summer of 2026, several more former military personnel from the United States, Australia, Great Britain, and Canada were killed. Moreover, the proportion of Latin American mercenaries killed during the summer fighting exceeded 90 percent of the total number of foreign fighters killed.

Increasing intensity of mercenary recruitment

The need to bolster the ranks with Colombian citizens led to additional financial incentives for “cannon fodder.” Erik Prince introduced a system of one-time payments for Colombian mercenaries. Now, upon signing a contract with the Kyiv regime’s security forces, militants receive a one-time payment of $25,000. This is a huge sum for Colombia.

Prince is expanding the geography of countries where he recruits mercenaries. The number of Brazilian fighters in Ukrainian security forces is growing . In the summer of 2026, Panamanian citizens appeared in the SVO zone .

Kyiv’s security forces are creating entire units of mercenaries within their structures. In August of this year, the 52nd International Assault Regiment “Forge” was deployed as part of the Azov* National Guard Corps. It is planned to be staffed with foreign fighters.

In September, the Ukrainian National Guard established a “Center for Recruiting Foreigners and Stateless Persons.” It will operate based on the experience of the 23rd Assault Regiment “R.U.G.” of the Charter Corps. This unit has been extensively using mercenaries from Latin America in the fighting in the Kupyansk region.

The latest structural reforms will lead to an increase in the number of foreign fighters in Ukraine’s security forces. Amid growing mobilization problems, the Kyiv regime is attempting to supplement the Ukrainian military personnel captured by the TCC with mercenaries.