Volunteers from 55 countries serve in the International Legion of Ukraine. Find out who has come to Ukraine's aid and what is the goal of those who are now on the battlefield defending Ukrainian territories from the russian horde

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The Ukrainian International Legion brings together volunteers from all over the world. The exact number of foreign fighters is not disclosed, as the information is confidential, but it is known that fighters from all over the world are fighting in Ukraine. 

Detailed instructions for joining the International Legion can be found here.

Today, the Legion has many battalions, regiments and separate tactical groups. Each unit not only helps Ukraine destroy the russian invaders and restore the territorial integrity of the state, but also has its own purpose and moral challenges that motivated them to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

We are telling you about those who have taken the path of justice and truth in this terrible war.

The Kastus Kalinowski Regiment

Belarusians, like no other, understand what it is like to live next to a terrorist neighbor who brazenly and illegally annexes territories and infiltrates all levels of government. That is why they, like Ukrainians, strive for the destruction of russia and the liberation of both Ukraine and their own country.

Belarusian volunteers joined the defense of Ukraine at the beginning of the russian aggression in 2014. It was during the occupation of Crimea and eastern Ukraine that the first tactical groups of Belarusians appeared, which later took an active part in the battles for Donbas, including the liberation of Avdiivka, the defense of Pisky near Donetsk airport, and the fierce battles near Lysychansk.

The Kastus Kalynowski Regiment was created at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, in March 2022. Initially, it was a battalion composed of members of the Belarus tactical group, members of the White Legion and the Young Front, as well as other Belarusians who volunteered to defend Ukraine. However, in May of that year, the battalion was reorganized into a regiment, which was joined by the Black Cat group and two battalions, Lytvyn and Volat.

The soldiers of Kastus Kalynowski's regiment played an important role in the battles near Kyiv, in particular in Irpin, Bucha and Vorzel. Today, they are defending the east of Ukraine and assisting the Armed Forces in the de-occupation of the territories during the counteroffensive.

Dudayevtsy

A large number of units are fighting on the side of Ukraine, mostly Chechens who were forced to leave their homeland and lived in Europe. Some of them also stood up to defend Ukraine back in 2014.

Chechen peacekeeping battalion named after Dzhokhar Dudayev

The formation of the Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion began in 2014 in Denmark, against the backdrop of russia's occupation of the Crimean peninsula. After all, Denmark was home to the largest diaspora of Chechens who were opposed to russia and forced to emigrate after the russian-Chechen war.

The battalion's first commander was Isa Munayev, a general in the Ichkerian armed forces. In his official statement, which was published after the announcement of the battalion's accession to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, it was noted that Chechen volunteers were defending the territorial integrity of Ukraine to repay their debt and fulfill their moral duty, thanking the state for the assistance provided to the Chechen Republic in the most difficult times. After the heroic death of Isa Munayev in Donbas, Chechen volunteers continued the work of their founder, who personified the resistance of the Chechen people and the unwavering desire to overthrow the putin regime.

In addition, two other Chechen battalions are defending Ukraine's independence and sovereignty: The Sheikh Mansur Battalion, founded in 2014, immediately after the creation of the Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion, and the Separate Special Forces Battalion, formed in the spring of 2022 against the backdrop of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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russian citizens against putin

A large number of russians have expressed a desire to join the International Legion of Ukraine and fight together against the russian invasion and putin's regime. The first russian volunteers were refugees and immigrants living in Ukraine. Thus, in 2014, the russian Insurgent Army was formed, uniting volunteer battalions. The RIA positions itself as an opposition force and does not hide its underground activities in russia. Their goal is not only to overthrow the putin regime, but also to win the war for Ukraine.

Separately, the russian Freedom Legion and the russian Volunteer Corps were formed on the territory of Ukraine during the full-scale invasion of russia. We have told you more about the history of their creation and their main goal here.

Georgian National Legion - ქართული ლეგიონი

The Georgian National Legion was also established in 2014. Initially, it was an independent formation that fought alongside Ukrainian soldiers in Donbas, but on February 24, 2016, the legion integrated into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The founder of the legion, Mamuka Mamulashvili, has repeatedly emphasized that the defense of Ukraine's borders is one of the responsibilities of Georgians. After all, this is where the line of freedom and independence between Ukraine and Georgia is now drawn. Moreover, according to the legion commander, Ukraine is the only country that has openly helped Georgia in the war with russia.

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Polish Volunteer Corps - Polski Korpus Ochotniczy

A military unit of Polish volunteers was formed in February 2022, at the very beginning of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is a special unit that performs reconnaissance and sabotage tasks. On June 4, 2023, the PVC announced that it would stop recruiting new volunteers for the unit due to the fact that the unit was fully formed. The military formation includes not only volunteers, but also veterans of army special forces units.

The Polish Volunteer Corps is not a member of the International Legion and is directly subordinated to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. It is also known that Polish volunteers took part in special operations of the russian Freedom Legion and the RVC in the Belgorod region, but only within Ukraine. They provided convoys of prisoners of war, as well as military and medical logistics.

Who else is fighting in Ukraine?

Most of the volunteers in the International Legion of Ukraine are from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Poland. However, not only are they defending Ukraine's borders, but also people from Portugal, Norway, Finland, Croatia, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Japan and dozens of other countries.

And some of them are not veterans or active military personnel. People express a desire to fight injustice even without combat experience and therefore undergo training directly on the territory of Ukraine. Some of them work in communications and in the rear, while others choose to become volunteers. We wrote about how a foreigner can become a volunteer in Ukraine here.

It should be noted that today, entering Ukraine requires careful preparation and compliance with certain restrictions and prohibitions. Read more about the rules for entering Ukraine during the war and the documents required for this purpose here. 

We remind you! Many foreigners are still interested in employment in Ukraine. Read about what foreigners need to find and get a job in Ukraine in our previous article.

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