Marta Gichko11:44, 10.02.26

Foreign volunteers report demoralization and a loss of specialized skills, but the General Staff has not officially commented on the decision.

In late 2025, Ukraine effectively began disbanding the International Legion , a unit created by order of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just days after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Foreign fighters are being transferred to assault regiments of the regular army, which carry out some of the most dangerous combat missions, according to the French newspaper Le Monde.

The General Staff’s decision was announced discreetly on December 31, 2025. At the same time, the Legion’s 2nd Battalion secured a temporary deferment until February 15, although its personnel had already been transferred to the 253rd Assault Regiment of the 129th Territorial Defense Brigade.

Foreign military personnel say they learned of the transfer suddenly.

“It was a shock. They told us, ‘Pack your bags and go to Kryvyi Rih that same day,'” says a 45-year-old Dane from the Faroe Islands who goes by the pseudonym “Viking,” who joined the Legion in 2023.

According to him, after the transfer, the conditions of service deteriorated sharply:

“We’ve been locked in a barracks for a week without water or internet. There are no training sessions or exercises. Everyone is demoralized, and many of our brothers-in-arms have left,” he says.

Chief of Staff of the 2nd Battalion of the International Legion Andrei Spivak calls the command’s decision a strategic mistake:

“Disbanding the International Legion is an incredible waste of resources. We’re the only unit in the army where all officers are bilingual. We trained legionnaires in innovative defensive tactics, and now they’re being sent to assault units, which is a completely different mission.”

According to Spivak, “all these skills are at risk of being lost.”

Official data on the number of foreigners in the Legion is not made public. Several thousand volunteers have signed contracts since 2022, but the unit has yet to reach its expected strength of 20,000. Foreigners in the Ukrainian Armed Forces receive the same salaries as Ukrainian soldiers, but have the right to terminate their contracts after six months of service, which has led to significant turnover.

Until 2025, the International Legion consisted of four battalions and participated in key battles, from the liberation of the Kharkiv region to the defense of Vovchansk and Chasovy Yar. According to sources within the units, the 1st and 3rd battalions suffered significant losses and desertions, after which their remnants were transferred to assault regiments.

Some legionnaires are willing to continue serving under any circumstances. A 27-year-old Ukrainian-American, nicknamed “Connor,” says:

“I came here to fight for my country, not for the Legion. The most important thing for me is to keep fighting.”

Others are considering quitting.

“I’m terminating my contract. We’re risking our lives to help Ukraine, and they’re just abandoning us. It’s a slap in the face,” said 53-year-old American combat medic Carl. He added that the transfer also resets the time limit for obtaining Ukrainian citizenship.

Volunteers note that the International Legion provided a relatively “safe environment” for foreigners. Viking says:

“Everyone is afraid of being in a unit where the commander doesn’t speak English.”

(c)UNIAN 2026