Nearly 16,000 foreign volunteers from at least 72 countries are currently serving in Ukraine’s Defence Forces, Ukraine’s Military Ombudsman Olha Reshetilova has said, Euractiv reports.
Speaking at a meeting with the heads of Ukraine’s foreign diplomatic missions, Reshetilova said that almost 40% of those volunteers come from Latin American countries.
She said the government is working to establish mechanisms to safeguard the rights and legitimate interests of foreign servicemen throughout their military service.
To that end, the Office of the Military Ombudsman has established a dedicated working group to address issues affecting foreign volunteers, from recruitment and deployment to discharge, repatriation, or transition to civilian life in Ukraine.
Reshetilova also outlined plans to improve cooperation with foreign diplomatic missions.
Under the proposed framework, embassies and consulates will be able to communicate with the ombudsman’s office through official channels coordinated by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry. Foreign volunteers and their families will likewise be able to submit requests directly to the ombudsman’s office.
Foreign nationals have served in a range of Ukrainian military units since the start of the war, although Kyiv has generally disclosed only limited information about their numbers and nationalities.
Separately, Ukrainian officials are preparing legislation to regulate private military and security companies after the war.
Supporters of the initiative argue that Ukraine’s large pool of combat veterans could provide internationally sought-after expertise in areas such as drone warfare, counter-drone operations, military training, and battlefield tactics.
Officials say the proposed sector could create new employment opportunities for former servicemen while allowing Ukraine to export military expertise developed during the war.
