Foreign Citizens Make Up 10% of Russian POWs in Ukraine, Kyiv Says

Ukraine reports that one in 10 Russian prisoners of war held in the country is a foreign citizen, with nearly 29,000 foreign nationals having signed contracts with Russia's armed forces since 2022. The "I Want to Live" project says POWs include citizens of 55 countries, with recruitment increasingly targeting economically vulnerable people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Captures in the first nine months of 2026 already exceed the total for all of 2025. Russia has halted recruitment in 39 countries after diplomatic pressure, shifting focus to South America, Central Asia, and Africa. Amnesty International reports deceptive practices amounting to human trafficking, with recruits promised civilian jobs and citizenship but facing confiscated documents.