They come from all around the world to fight with the Russians in the worldwide legion. They are ex-military or veterans, but they are also regular civilians who have not had appropriate military training.
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| [Volunteer fighters in Ukraine] |
It is not difficult, at least from a "bureaucratic" standpoint, to go and fight against the soldiers of Moscow in Ukraine by joining the international legion, a special unit made up of foreign fighters created by the Kiev ministries of defence and foreign affairs for foreign volunteers who want to join the Ukrainian cause. In addition to a healthy (and obvious) dosage of bravery, anyone interested in participating must have basic equipment, but no prior military experience or specific training is necessary. You will be reimbursed for your travel expenses as well as a little income.
Western governments have issued warnings about the dangers of such a decision, advised people against it, and do not actively encourage volunteers who travel to fight with Ukrainians (or the Russians). Leaving is thus the outcome of a personal decision. Going to fight abroad, on the other hand, is not a felony unless done for terrorist groups. To enrol, call the Ukrainian embassy in your country and be prepared to go for Lviv, a city in western Ukraine a few kilometres from the border with Poland: this is where the foreign legion begins to work, before advancing east, into the conflict's hot spots.
In Ukraine, the first voluntary foreign warriors are already on the ground. The official account of Kiev's armed forces has uploaded images of the first troops of the multinational legion, who arrived from other nations to fight and were sent to protect the city. There are persons from the United Republics, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Lithuania, Mexico, Portugal, Brazil, and India, as well as post-Soviet states such as Georgia and Belarus, according to the local military. Some are ex-military or war veterans, but there are also regular civilians who came in a theatre of conflict after fleeing their country, families, and careers.
Who is going to fight in Ukraine and why
Following the appeal launched by his foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that 16 thousand foreigners have already offered to join the international legion to fight against the soldiers of Moscow. "This is our nation; we couldn't stay in our luxurious lifestyles in America and see what was going on here," he explained. Vasyk Didyk, a 26-year-old Ukrainian boy living in New York.
He travelled to Poland with his buddy Igor Harmaii for a whole day before returning home with only a canvas rucksack and a trolley. He has no military experience and arrived in Ukraine despite the fact that his parents, who do not reside in Ukraine, sobbed on the phone when they learned he was joining the conflict. "I hadn't been back to Ukraine in four years, but I didn't have a choice. I had no choice but to come here and serve my nation "He stated.
He is not the only one who believes this. The invitation to foreigners to join the Ukrainian international legion motivated British bricklayer Jake Dale to book a trip to Poland on Friday. He departed Milton Keynes, more than 1,200 miles west of Shehyni (Ukraine's border crossing with Poland), on Saturday afternoon and landed in Ukraine on Sunday afternoon. "As soon as I heard Zelensky's call, I knew I wanted to help - the 29-year-old remarked before leaving the house he lives with his girlfriend and two children. I'm putting my life in danger, but it's for a good cause. Obviously. My partner becomes enraged, as anyone would, but she ultimately supports me."
Hundreds of volunteers from the United States and Canada are arriving in Ukraine to battle the Russians. "I felt compelled to act," says a 33-year-old Canadian chef. "I don't want to be a hero or a martyr; I simply want to do the right thing," says a journalism student from New York who moved to Ukraine. He has only been alive for 23 years. "If they are willing to preserve democracy, I believe people who profit from a democratic society have a responsibility to help them," says a Texas-based software engineer eager to fight for Kiev.
Fears of extremist militants in Ukraine
For Ukraine, foreign fighters are not a new occurrence. Also in 2014, with the Donbass conflict, there was an influx of foreign fighters from 55 countries, estimated at over 17 thousand units, who fought on both the Ukrainian and Russian sides. "Around a thousand individuals would have arrived from the West, part in support of Ukrainian national troops, half in defence of pro-Russian separatist militias," ISPI, an institution for international political research, adds. Approximately 50-60 combatants fled Italy at the time, virtually all of them were "adult males with a medium-low socioeconomic status and without family members."
What motivates us to volunteer? The reasons vary: sometimes economic, sometimes political, with 50-80 percent supporting far-right beliefs yet siding partially with Ukraine and partly with Russia. In this environment, according to the ISPI, the dangers might be exacerbated by the onset of conflict throughout Ukraine. Foreign warriors who had left this theatre of operations may return.
Other volunteers may also be mobilised. It cannot be ruled out that the protracted Ukrainian crisis may result in a new wave of foreign combatants, made up of volunteers eager to contribute to the conflict's progression, according to the institution.