From Korea to Kenya: All the countries dragged into fighting the Ukraine-Russia war

Volodymyr Zelensky declared connected nan eve of nan 4th day of nan warfare successful Ukraine that World War Three had already begun.

His connection reflected nan progressively world quality of Russia’s war, which has seen troops from countries crossed nan world brought successful to either bolster Putin’s aggression aliases support Ukraine’s resistance.

Since February 2022, astir 55,000 Ukrainians person been killed successful bitter fighting connected nan frontlines, according to Ukrainian estimates. Russia has suffered an estimated 1.2 cardinal casualties, including astatine slightest 325,000 deaths, according to caller analysis.

Some 20,000 men from overseas are now estimated to person joined Russia’s invasion. Many person been falsely sold nan committedness of lucrative employment distant from nan frontlines. Ukraine has offered master soldiers fixed contracts paying rates higher than what they could gain astatine home.

Moscow has utilized overseas troops to alleviate nan strain connected its forces and, crucially, hold different information of politically contentious mobilisation - a move apt to spark nationalist anger.

Ahead of nan 4th day of nan conflict, The Independent looks astatine immoderate of nan countries dragged into Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine.

North Korea

North Korea assumed a awesome domiciled successful nan conflict successful support of Russia successful precocious 2024, helping to group backmost a bold Ukrainian counteroffensive into Russian-held territory.

The first reports of North Koreans training successful Russia came successful nan weeks aft emboldened Ukrainian forces launched a summertime violative into Russia’s Kursk region. Pyongyang would perpetrate immoderate 17,000 troops to Russia successful total, according to caller British estimates.

Most of nan soldiers came from North Korea’s elite ‘Storm Corps’, which are trained for infiltration and sabotage operations. They remained successful Kursk to thief Russia retrieve power of its ain region earlier mostly withdrawing.

The UK Ministry of Defence assessed successful June that Pyongyang had apt sustained much than 6,000 casualties fighting Ukraine - a small complete a 3rd of its forces.

Emil Kastehelmi, subject expert and cofounder of nan Finland-based open-source intelligence corporate Black Bird Group, told The Independent that “after fighting successful Kursk, they’ve taken a little progressive domiciled against Ukrainians”.

He said that while aggregate brigades were utilized successful Kursk, nary specified unit has since been transferred to Donetsk, nan region of eastbound Ukraine sought by Putin.

North Korea has been fighting its ain propaganda warfare astatine home, glorifying nan troops sent to Kursk pinch a caller memorial analyzable and a lodging territory group speech for nan families of slain soldiers. Analysis opportunity specified curen is aimed astatine curbing nationalist discontent.

Kenya

Harrowing footage showing nan maltreatment of African soldiers by Russian troops sparked outrage precocious past year.

Francis Ndung’u Ndarua, 35, from Kenya, was filmed successful viral footage pinch a onshore excavation strapped to his thorax arsenic a Russian speaker hurled group slurs astatine him and said he would beryllium utilized arsenic a “can opener” to battle Ukrainian positions.

Anne Ndarua, his mother, told CNN that Francis had gone to Russia to go an electrical engineer. She was amazed to study he was being forced into subject training, and says he was sent to nan beforehand aft conscionable 3 weeks.

Families person petitioned for nan Kenyan authorities to enactment successful caller weeks arsenic soldiers began to return home, recounting really they were lured successful by lucrative occupation offers only to beryllium sent to Ukraine.

A Kenyan intelligence study recovered this period that astir 1,000 Kenyans person been recruited to conflict successful Ukraine truthful far. Nearly 90 were connected nan frontlines this month, while 1 has died and respective person travel location injured aliases traumatised, nan National Intelligence Service (NIS) said successful its report. The authorities has precocious tried to prohibition nan conscription of Kenyan soldiers.

“They sometimes whitethorn not afloat understand what is nan battlefield they are entering,” Mr Kastehelmi said, adding: “Russians astir apt tin salary amended and they whitethorn person besides much effective recruiting networks.”

Colombia

Both Russia and Ukraine person recruited soldiers from Latin America to capable successful their ranks.

Colombian veterans are considered among nan astir valuable overseas fighters, arriving hardened from a decades-long civilian war, and acquainted pinch Western equipment.

Mario Urueña-Sánchez, a information master astatine Rosario University successful Bogotá, told The Economist that casualty rates stay precocious arsenic Colombians get to meet a very different conflict from nan 1 astatine home.

“In Colombia, you tin patrol for six months and location isn’t arsenic overmuch consequence involved,” a Colombian Army seasoned now fighting successful Ukraine told El Tiempo. “Here, pinch each introduction (into combat) you cognize you mightiness not travel backmost aliases you mightiness travel backmost wounded.”

Figures vary, and recruitment is often informal, but it is estimated that betwixt 3,000 and 7,000 Colombians person fought successful Ukraine, connected some sides, since 2022.

In 2024, Colombian fighters were offered betwixt $3,000 to $4,000 per period to subordinate existing Ukrainian units connected six-month contracts, according to CEPA.

India

More than 200 Indians person been recruited into nan Russian equipped forces since nan invasion, India’s overseas ministry reported successful December, amid rising interest astir citizens being lured into nan military.

At slightest 26 group were said to person been killed and 7 were still missing astatine nan clip of nan report.

Dozens of families gathered successful New Delhi successful November to telephone connected nan authorities to bring their relatives home, arsenic they excessively heard that they had been duped into travelling to Russia for paid activity only to beryllium forced into subject roles.

Among India’s casualties are Ajay Godara, 22, and Rakesh Kumar Maurya, 30, who had travelled to Russia separately connected student visas, earlier taking up non-combat roles arsenic cleaners and helpers, according to their families. Their bodies were returned to their families past year.

British defence curate John Healey said this period that Russia’s subject is progressively reliant connected overseas fighters arsenic losses equine faster than Moscow tin replenish its frontlines.

These troops are “often recruited nether mendacious pretences and press-ganged nether unit without needfully realising that they’re destined for nan Russian nutrient instrumentality connected nan beforehand statement of Ukraine,” he said.