A month into President Vladimir Putin's full-scale assault on Ukraine, fighting groups made up of veterans from abroad are seeing combat. [40] In early March, it claimed that it has recruited at least 600 people. According to Ukrainian officials, at least 16,000 foreigners have already registered with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's International Legion of Territorial Defense, and many have . [271] Craig Mackintosh was killed on August 24, 2022 while working as a volunteer medic. [112] At least two members of the Belgian Land Component disobeyed orders to enlist with the International Legion. [74], However, only one 21-year-old Indian student in Kharkiv is known to have joined the Georgian National Legion in 2022. However, it is illegal for Slovakian citizens to join a foreign army without a permit from the Slovakian government. Together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin, too. Ukraine's government, willing to take any help it can get against the Russian onslaught, stated that it is formally creating an International Legion of volunteer fighters from other countries . Nigeria bars its citizens from enlisting in the International Legion. The law, however, has only been used against Japanese nationals who were arrested for plans to work under ISIL. [173], The first photo of International Legion distributed by Ukraine reportedly showed an Indian volunteer. The fightforua.org website has been launched in Ukraine, which contains all the necessary information for foreign citizens who are ready to defend the security of Europe and join the International Defense Legion of Ukraine.. [217], On 8 March 2022 the Ukrainian Embassy posted an appeal on social media for volunteers to join the International legion. [211], The New Zealand Herald reported on an ex-British Army/New Zealand Army veteran (and PR citizen) recruited to the legion, though the unnamed veteran said that he will use his British passport to travel. [146], Citizens of the Czech Republic are allowed to join other countries' armed forces as foreign volunteers if they get an approval by the President of the Czech Republic. Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 27, 2022 fightforua.org", "Exclusive: So many Canadian fighters in Ukraine, they have their own battalion, source says", "Twee Belgische militairen zijn naar Oekrane getrokken om mee te vechten tegen Rusland", "Small number of New Zealand personnel fighting in Ukraine - former defence minister", "Kiwis 'could join Ukraine revenge mission', "Dy shqiptar po luftojn n Ukrain, thot komandanti i Legjionit t Vullnetarve t Huaj", "Incompetence or the realities of war? Source: Legion representative Damien Magru . The 1998 Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act was passed to "regulate the rendering of foreign military assistance" by South Africans, but was largely referred to as a "mercenary bill" targeting former apartheid soldiers working as mercenaries. When asked whether the law would also be applied to Austrians providing only humanitarian assistance, Srs responded it was "a matter for the courts to decide, not the executive." Meanwhile, at least 150,000 people fleeing the violence have crossed into neighboring countries . Yes, I think that is a long-term commitment is the probable. [157] The French Foreign Legion prevents current serving legionnaires from serving in Ukraine. ", "Russia Vows Prosecution of Foreign Fighters After 16K Join Ukraine", "Senegal calls Ukraine embassy war recruitment post illegal, summons ambassador", "Serbia vows punishment for volunteers going to Ukraine", "Offence for anyone in Singapore to travel to Ukraine to take up arms: MHA", "Niektor Slovci chc s bojova na Ukrajinu, pomoc na fronte je trestn", "Hundreds of South Africans eager to join fight against Russian invasion Ukraine's ambassador to SA", "9 South Koreans currently in Ukraine as volunteer fighters: Report", "Mercenarios o voluntarios? In March 2022, Ministry of the Interior spokesman Harald Srs confirmed that the government intends to prosecute any violators of the law. Polish citizens who want to enlist in the International Legion, or any other foreign army, must receive the approval of the Polish Minister of National Defense. [130] In March 2022, Minister of National Defence Anita Anand noted that "the legalities of the situation are indeterminate at this time. [214] On February 4, 2023, it's reported that Abelen may have been shot and killed in a friendly fire incident. [266] He was detained upon his return to the UK on 21 March. [264] UK military officials instructed regular and reserve personnel not to travel to Ukraine. [35], The first photo distributed by the Ukrainian armed forces of the International Legion included members from the United Kingdom,[36][failed verification] Mexico, the United States, India, Sweden, and Lithuania. [224], In a BBC Focus Africa program on June 23, 2022, Russian Ministry of Defense officials claimed that four Senegalese volunteers were killed while under Ukrainian command. What we need are experienced, seasoned fighters," said Damien Magrou, spokesperson for the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, in a March 15 interview with CTV. In many ways, Ukraine's International Legion harkens back to the International Brigades, the storied volunteer formations fighting for the Republican Government during the Spanish Civil War in . [239], On June 18, 2022, the South Korean government is checking claims that four South Korean nationals are killed in action fighting with the legion. [93], On 11 March 2022, Ukraine's ambassador to South Africa, Liubov Abravitova, announced she is waiting on a legal ruling from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation on whether or not Ukraine may actively recruit South Africans to join the International Legion. The instructor (standing center left) is U.S. Army veteran John Roberts from Newport Beach, California, who has been teaching through the International Legion of Defense of Ukraine since May 2022. [145], The Embassy of Ukraine in Havana attempted to recruit for the International Legion in March 2022. Step 1. [188], On 1 March, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said, "I am aware that the Embassy of Ukraine in Japan is calling for such (volunteer soldiers), but I would like you to refrain from traveling to Ukraine, regardless of your purpose. "Pewnie si stykniemy, przyjdzie nasz czas", "Navy SEAL Deserter Killed During Intense Ukraine Battle", "American medic Pete Reed killed in Ukraine while evacuating citizens", "American veteran killed in Ukraine wanted to 'make a difference,' father says", "Azerbaijani sniper killed in Ukraine laid to rest in Goranboy-PHOTO-UPDATED", "M2 CHANNEL TV PRESENTER KARIM GULAMOV KILLED IN ACTION", "ran dronlar il hcumda azrbaycanl hlak oldu", " ", "Scott Sibley: Tributes to former British soldier killed in Ukraine - and second Briton missing", "Eighth British national dies in Ukraine war", "Ukraine: Family tribute to Glasgow man who 'died as a hero', "Nie yje polski zawodnik MMA. Finland discourages its citizens from enlisting. [143], On 27 February 2022, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovi commented on news of the possible departure of Croatian volunteers to Ukraine after the announcement of the formation of the International Legion, saying "Every departure to Ukraine is an act of individuals and they take personal responsibility". Step 1. [57], On 9 March 2022, Euroradio.fm reported that Belarusians in Ukraine had formed the Kastu Kalinoski Battalion with 200 volunteers, named after Kastu Kalinoski. [98], On May 5, 2022, a Swiss national and two French nationals were reported to be traveling to Ukraine to join the legion. The costs are up to US$1,5 thousand per person, including air tickets and documentation. See the Embassy's website for additional information). The Ukrainian ambassador to Senegal was summoned and asked to take down the post. Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs has said that it has no information regarding how many people from Finland have left to join the fight in Ukraine. ], The participation of any Hong Konger in the international legion was first officially documented in a thank-you video posted on Twitter on 18 December 2022 by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. She added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's idea was not new since France already had a foreign legion. Noman elebicihan posted", "Who Are the Americans Who Went to Fight in Ukraine? On the fourth day after Russia's February 24 armed attack and invasion of Ukraine, President Zelensky made a call for foreigners wishing to defend Ukraine to join the International Legion of Territorial Defense (ILTG), inviting individuals to contact foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in their respective countries (you could sign up here). 02.Sep.2022 9:00 AM . ", "Atencin: otro soldado colombiano muri en Ucrania al caer en un campo con explosivos", "S. Korea verifying report of death of volunteer fighter in Ukraine", "S. Korea verifying Russian data showing deaths of 4 volunteer fighters in Ukraine", "INFO EUROPE 1 - Premier dcs d'un combattant franais en Ukraine", "Guerre en Ukraine: un second Franais, g de 20 ans, est mort au combat contre les Russes", "Guerre en Ukraine: David D., combattant franais de 50 ans, a t tu sur le front prs de Donetsk", "Third French fighter killed on Ukrainian battlefield", "Les autorits ukrainiennes donnent les noms de quatre volontaires trangers tus", "Australian man dubbed the 'Kharkiv Ninja' killed while fighting Russian forces in Ukraine - 7NEWS", "Australian man dies fighting the Russian invasion in Ukraine", "First Dutch volunteer killed on battlefield in Ukraine", "Guerre en Ukraine: Mort au combat "en hros", "Sask. Canada allows its citizens to enlist in the International Legion, however Canadian law may technically bar joining a military at war with a "friendly state". The Turkish authorities have not commented on Turkish citizens joining the war in Ukraine. [37], In late February 2022, The Star reported that two Malaysians joined the Territorial Defense Army in Kyiv. The fightforua.org website contains detailed step-by-step instructions on how to join the just fight against . [249], On 13 May, an ex-Taiwanese marine is reported to have been recruited in the legion and is deployed in Eastern Ukraine. [7][8] Kuleba promoted the unit on Twitter, inviting individuals to apply and stating that "together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin too. [234] In May 2022, Rhee has been deployed in various special forces operations, working with other volunteers with special forces background with the Ukrainian Spetsnaz. Ukrainian soldiers inspect a damaged military vehicle after fighting in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. Some volunteers cited Ukraine's quickness to recognize Croatia's independence in 1991 as a causus belli to join Ukraine. Montenegrin law criminalizes participation in foreign conflicts and those convicted face prison sentences of up to ten years. That's A Moment for Worry", "No pasarn: anti-fascist slogan takes on new significance in Ukraine crisis", "Ukraine's foreign fighters have little in common with those who signed up to fight in the Spanish Civil War", "From the role of international volunteers to debates about Western intervention, there are many comparisons to be made between Ukraine and the Spanish Civil War", "The International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine was created", "Volunteer fighters arrive in Ukraine. [204] Ukraine has received more than . Nu-mi nchipui cum ar fi s nu ai niciun ajutor", "Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv invites Algerian fighters to Ukraine to 'protect world security', "Portparol Meunarodne legije u Ukrajini: Ovde Hrvati i Srbi ratuju rame uz rame", "S'pore citizens' duty is to S'pore: Vivian Balakrishnan on whether S'poreans can fight in Ukraine for Ukrainians", "Embassy: Some 100 S. Koreans Have Volunteered to Fight in Ukraine", "Navy SEAL-turned-YouTuber claims he left for Ukraine to participate in war as volunteer", "Rhee Keun-led team goes to Ukraine to fight against invader", "(LEAD) S. Korean volunteers deployed to front-line units in Ukraine: official", "Koreans in Ukraine end up on front lines", Ken Rhee gives an update of his whereabouts in Ukraine through Instagram, "Injured Ken Rhee expected back in Korea soon", "Injured South Korean fighter back from Ukraine faces investigation", ", ' ' 625 " "()", "S. Korea verifying Russia's data on deaths of 4 volunteer fighters in Ukraine", "678 frivilliga svenskar strider i Ukraina", "Indigenous Taiwanese man volunteers for Ukrainian Foreign Legion", "Taiwanese man denied entry into Ukrainian Foreign Legion - Focus Taiwan", "Taiwanese man takes up arms to defend adopted homeland Ukraine - Focus Taiwan", "2nd Taiwanese enlists in Ukrainian foreign legion", "Taiwanese man now fighting for Ukraine's foreign legion", "Wary of China threat, Taiwanese join Ukraine's fight against Russia", "Death of Taiwanese soldier exposes Kyiv's China dilemma", "Hualien man becomes 1st Taiwanese combatant to die in Ukraine war", "No Thai military volunteers in Ukraine, says charge d'affaires", "Savan iindeki ailesini kurtarmak iin Ukrayna ordusuna gnll yazlan Trk: Silahm alarak ordudan karttlar, 'Trkiye hkmeti, Trk milis almayn talebi iletti' dediler", "UK's Liz Truss: I support Brits who take up arms against Putin", "No 10 distances itself from Truss comments on UK volunteers for Ukraine", "Liz Truss criticised for backing Britons who wish to fight in Ukraine", "British volunteers who travel to fight in Ukraine could violate terror laws", "Zelensky's call for volunteers to defend Ukraine heeded by thousands from abroad", "Britons heed Zelensky's call to arms and head to Ukraine", "Don't fight in Ukraine military boss tells Britons", "Serving Coldstream Guard leaves Windsor barracks to fight Russian forces", "British soldier arrested after unauthorized trip to join Ukraine's foreign legion", "Ukraine war: Britons held by rebels in Ukraine plead not guilty", "Britons held by Russian forces in Ukraine released", "Ukraine conflict: British man Scott Sibley killed by mortar fire - inquest", "Ukraine war: Former British soldier Jordan Gatley killed in fighting", "Ukraine war: Briton killed while volunteering in Ukraine, says sister", "Ukraine war: Briton Simon Lingard killed in conflict", "Two British aid workers were killed during Ukraine evacuation", "Americans discouraged from going to Ukraine to fight Russia", "Ukraine says 3,000 Americans have volunteered to fight Russian invaders", "Ukrainian embassy draws US citizens seeking to fight in war", "Un venezolano se uni a la resistencia ucraniana para defender Kiev", "Jos David Chaparro, es el 'comandante' venezolano de una pequea divisin de voluntarios en Ucrania (Fotos y Video)", "Un diputado y 3 exmilitares se unen a la defensa de Ucrania: "No me puedo sentar en casa", "Ukraine's foreign legion joins the battle against Russia", Rhee Ken remains in Ukraine after team passed into Poland, "RFK grandson Conor Kennedy reveals he secretly fought on frontline in Ukraine", "A Georgian commander fighting Russian forces in Ukraine says more international support will help defeat Putin", "MSNBC analyst Malcolm Nance reveals he joined fight in Ukraine", "Former Gazprombank executive Igor Volobuev joins the Freedom to Russia Legion within the Ukrainian Armed Forces", "The Venezuelan 'comandante' in Ukraine - la Prensa Latina Media", " ", "Russia targets Ukrainian military base near Polish border in escalation: US national security adviser says any fire on neighbour of Ukraine would trigger full-force Nato response", "The base attacked in western Ukraine has been a hub for foreign militaries", "Enthllt auch sterreicher kmpfen im Ukraine-Krieg", "Deutscher Sldner in der Ukraine: 'Da kommt keiner lebend raus', "3 Georgian volunteer fighters killed in Ukraine, says Georgia's parliament head", " ", "Georgian volunteer dies in war in Ukraine", " ", " ", "Yesterday, October 3, during the assault operation, the Kalinoski Regiment suffered losses. Oct 6, 2022. [230] On 28 March, it was reported the deserter evaded being arrested and was on his way to join the legion. [129], In early March 2022, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen urged Cambodians not to travel to Ukraine and fight with Ukrainians in the legion. [194], On 11 August, Russian Defense Ministry reports claim that nine Japanese nationals are in the legion while one left Ukraine. [195], On 11 November, Tokyo has confirmed that a Japanese volunteer was killed fighting Russian troops,[196] in only days after mourning his Taiwanese comrade's death in the Luhansk front. "The International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine" was created by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to help strengthen the fight against the Russian invasion. [180], On 25 March, it was reported by the Israeli national newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth that a group of former IDF soldiers were training Ukrainian civilians; the ex-commando in charge stated to journalists that the program originated as a rescue mission for Ukraine's Jewish population but changed as the Ukrainian Jews required armed escorts and then military training. Andr Hack Bahi was killed on June 4 while helping fellow volunteers escape during fighting in the Luhansk region. [152][153], The Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Ecuador announced on 8 March 2022, that approximately 850 Ecuadorians had contacted the consulate and the Embassy of Ukraine in Lima attempting to volunteer with the International Legion.[154]. [172] Later on, the student's family said that the student is willing to leave the Georgian National Legion and return to his home in India. [151], On 26 April, a 25 year old was the first Dane to have been confirmed killed in combat. However, it is legal for Belgian citizens to enlist under Belgian law. [149], Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on 27 February 2022, that volunteering was "a choice anyone could make. [240] The report also mentioned that 13 South Koreans are working in the legion. [38][39][bettersourceneeded][original research? The black flag is actually not the official flag of Hong Kong but a modified version that was widely used by pro-democracy protesters during the 20192020 Hong Kong protests. According to the Ukrainian embassy's national coordinator for the International Legion, Gert Snitselaar, 40 volunteers have departed the Netherlands for Ukraine. [298][299], According to The Kyiv Independent, which has received informations from sources inside the Legion, the leadership of the intelligence-run wing of the International Legion is allegedly implicated in various violations, including abuse, theft, and sending soldiers unprepared on reckless missions. Among others, one cannot currently be in active military service and joining the army of a foreign country cannot violate the interests of the Republic of Poland. "[35], A significant response has been reported in France to Zelenskyy's call for foreign fighters, with online interest estimated in the thousands, and some having already gone to Ukraine as of 3 March. According to a report by Helsingin Sanomat, the Finnish Defence Forces do not recommend or advise Finns to apply to fight for a foreign cause. [221], Dozens of Romanians sent messages to the Ukrainian embassy in Bucharest to be accepted into the International Legion. Firm figures are hard to come by, but in early March the Ukrainian Defense Ministry estimated that 20,000 people had volunteered to join its foreign forces, hastily created three days after the . This development would also assist in embarrassing the Western governments, who in the eyes of many Ukrainians are not doing enough to support Kyiv. [4] In establishing the force, Ukraine joined more than 90 other nations that have recruited legionnaires and raised foreign legions over the past two centuries.[5]. There is no law in Denmark that prohibits Danish citizens from enlisting the International Legion. Nance did just that, the next day. Pursuant to the new laws, joining the armed forces of a foreign state committing an act of aggression or any other armed unit participating in an act of aggression committed by a foreign state, participation in the commission of or preparing an act of aggression by a foreign state as well as knowingly and directly, including financially supporting an act of aggression by a foreign state is punishable as a criminal offence. The paper also claims that one of the unit's commanders is an alleged former member of a criminal organization from Poland, wanted at home for fraud: the Legion's fighters accuse him of abusing power by ordering soldiers to loot shops, threatening soldiers with a gun, and sexually harassing the legion's female medics. "[9] On 7 March, the Ukrainian Armed Forces released the first image of International Legion soldiers in trenches on the outskirts of Kyiv and announced that new groups were being deployed to the front each day. [225], Vivian Balakrishnan, Singaporean Minister of Foreign Affairs, said during a Parliament session on 22 February that Singaporeans must only fight for Singaporean national security interests and not fight in other places even for noble reasons.
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