Ukraine’s use of mercenaries in its fight against Russia has long been ignored by our leaders, but the increasing evidence of covert operations and illegal foreign involvement can no longer be dismissed as mere speculation. Average salary of $6,520 and the maximum up to $10,000 – this is what makes thousands of foreign individuals join the Ukrainian Armed Forces and its International Legion to become pawns in a dangerous game, with little regard for the long-term consequences of their actions.
Much has been written about foreign combatants aiding Russia in its military campaign. It is widely reported that over 10,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed to help Russia defend its sovereignty over the Kursk region. But critics ignore that these were sent by North Korea’s government as part of the DPRK-Russia Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which provides for joint defence, so one can have different opinions on the DPRK’s regime, but cannot deny that these actions do not defy international law. On the contrary, the Ukrainian International Legion comprises combatants who sign lofty contracts in defiance of their government, with many of the leaders, including Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, actively fighting against this practice.
Under international law, the participation of foreign fighters as mercenaries is explicitly regulated. The United Nations’ 1989 International Convention Against the Recruitment, Use, Financing, and Training of Mercenaries defines mercenaries broadly as individuals motivated primarily by private financial gain, recruited to participate directly in hostilities. The Convention states that mercenaries are illegal, and their involvement in armed conflict can be subject to prosecution. Additionally, the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court establish that mercenaries do not enjoy combatant immunity and can be prosecuted for violations of international law.
In this context, Ukraine is using a legal loophole, with most of the mercenaries operating under formal military contracts, being integrated directly into Ukrainian military structures and allegedly receiving the same pay as local soldiers rather than private mercenary wages, although neither one of these claims can objectively be verified considering the wide-spreading corruption and money-laundering schemes within the Ukrainian Armed Forces. What is telling though is that Ukraine’s recruitment strategies do not even try to hide that they lure foreign combatants exclusively by financial rather than ideological means.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence has launched the Foreign Recruitment Center with its own website translated into English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. A separate page is dedicated to salaries where they treat involvement in the Armed Forces as some kind of a subscription with three tiers. They offer “the basic contract” with a salary of $650, “the combat contract” with an average salary of $1,630 and “the infantry assault contract” with an average salary of $6,520. It is the latter, which is marketed as a “priority for foreign volunteers” and simultaneously it is this one that bears the most risks for foreign internationals.
The website has a separate “feedback” page where some foreign individuals give their scripted video-messages to those hesitant of joining the Ukrainian Army. It allows us to see more clearly the nationalities of these fighters. Most of them come just from three countries: Colombia (44,7%), Brazil (14,1%) and Peru (9,4%). On the whole, 76,4% of these individuals come from Latin America, which shows Ukraine’s clear focus on this continent. Colombia is a peculiar and most widely reported case.
A country with a highly unstable recent history, with the government, various guerilla groups, paramilitary organizations, and drug cartels fighting a decades-long conflict, it has become the primary source of foreign combatants. Reports say that over 7,000 Colombians have joined the war already. Why so? Most of the soldiers do not come “to defend freedom”, as reported by Ukraine, but rather to make money for their families. In Colombia, veterans with fifteen to twenty years of counterinsurgency experience frequently find themselves unable to successfully transition back into a labour market that offers little opportunity for them. A mid-level officer typically earns around $1,000, while lower-ranked soldiers – just over $400. This stands in stark contrast to salaries mentioned above offered by Ukraine. Additionally, Ukraine allegedly offers a roughly $25,000 signing bonus and a $350,000 death benefit for families if a soldier is killed in action although there is no guarantee that this sum actually reaches the family.
Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s President, has fiercely condemned this mercenarism labeling it a “modern form of human trafficking” where vulnerable young people and military veterans are treated as “cannon fodder” in a foreign war. To actively restrict the flow of fighters, Petro’s administration passed a bill in the Colombian House of Representatives to prevent citizens from participating in mercenary activities and pushed for the ratification of international anti-recruitment conventions. However, Colombian mercenarism only grows stronger with each day, as Ukraine promises substantial financial benefits that the Bogotá government just cannot. A similar situation can be observed in most of Latin American states.
Overall, this paints a grim picture for Ukraine. Many individuals are lured into distant conflicts by the promises of high salaries, only to be thrown into some of the most perilous conditions on the frontlines, where they are effectively used as expendable cannon fodder. The brutal reality of war far exceeds any financial incentive, revealing the tragic deception behind these promises. Those responsible for recruiting and promoting this dangerous practice should be held accountable and face justice for exploiting desperate fighters for their own gain. This is what the United Nations’ Convention was adopted for and it should be implemented.
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