Foreign volunteers report demoralization and loss of specialized skills, while the General Staff does not officially comment on the decision.
At the end of 2025, Ukraine effectively began the disbandment of the International Legion – a unit created by order of President Volodymyr Zelensky just a few 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 tasks, writes the French Le Monde.
The decision of the General Staff was discreetly communicated on December 31, 2025. At the same time, the 2nd Battalion of the Legion achieved a temporary reprieve 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 about the transfer suddenly.
"It was a shock. We were told: 'Pack your bags and go to Kryvyi Rih that same day,'" says a 45-year-old Dane from the Faroe Islands using the pseudonym "Viking," who joined the Legion in 2023.
According to him, after the transfer, the conditions of service sharply deteriorated:
"We are locked in a barracks where there has been no water or internet for a week. There are no training sessions or exercises. Everyone is demoralized, many comrades have left," he says.
The chief of staff of the 2nd Battalion of the International Legion, Andriy Spivak, calls the command's decision a strategic mistake:
"Disbanding the International Legion is an incredible waste of resources. We are the only unit in the army where all the officers are bilingual. We trained the legionnaires in innovative defensive tactics, and now they are 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 disclosed. It is known that since 2022, several thousand volunteers have signed contracts, but the expected number of 20,000 has not been reached. Foreigners in the Armed Forces of Ukraine receive the same salary as Ukrainian military personnel 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 Kharkiv to the defense of Volchansk and Chasiv Yar. According to sources in 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 conditions. A 27-year-old American of Ukrainian descent using the pseudonym "Connor" says:
"I came here to fight for my country, not for the Legion. For me, the most important thing is to keep fighting."
Others are considering the possibility of resigning.
"I will terminate my contract. We risk our lives to help Ukraine, and we are just abandoned. It’s a slap in the face," said 53-year-old American combat medic Karl. According to him, the transfer also resets the time required to obtain Ukrainian citizenship.
Volunteers note that the International Legion provided a relatively "safe environment" for foreigners. "Viking" says:
"Everyone is afraid of ending up in a unit where the commander does not speak English."
International Legion
The International Legion of Ukraine is a unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, created in February 2022 after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion to attract foreign volunteers to defend the country. It was formed by the decision of President Volodymyr Zelensky and became part of the territorial defense.
The Legion brought together foreigners from dozens of countries who signed contracts with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, received salaries on par with Ukrainian military personnel, and participated in combat operations on various fronts. The unit was used in both offensive and defensive operations, particularly during the battles in Kharkiv, around Bakhmut, and in northeastern Ukraine.
In the International Legion, which fights against Russian occupiers on the side of Ukraine, there are many French, who even created a sort of encrypted radio communication - instead of speaking Russian or English, they speak French so that the Russians cannot understand them.
