16,000 FOREIGN VOLUNTEERS FROM 72 COUNTRIES ARE DEFENDING UKRAINE
Ukraine’s Military Ombudsman Olha Reshetylova says approximately 16,000 foreign volunteers representing 72 countries are currently serving in Ukraine’s defense forces.
One figure particularly stands out: nearly 40% are citizens of Latin American countries, demonstrating just how international Ukraine’s foreign volunteer contingent has become.
“Our state respects the contribution of foreign servicemen and is aware of its responsibility to respect their rights,” Reshetylova said.
Foreign volunteers have served alongside Ukrainians throughout the full-scale invasion, bringing a wide range of military backgrounds and experience. Others arrived without extensive combat experience and underwent training before deployment
The numbers also put something larger into perspective. Thousands of people have traveled across continents, leaving their homes and families behind to serve in a war taking place thousands of kilometers from their own countries
From Latin America and North America to Europe and beyond, 72 nations are represented among those who made that decision.
Ukraine’s defense may be fought on Ukrainian soil, but the people who have chosen to stand alongside Ukrainians have come from across the world. 🇺🇦