Russia has lost more than 11,000 foreign mercenaries in the war against Ukraine – Bloomberg

Russia has recorded the deaths of more than 11,000 foreigners who fought on its side in the war against Ukraine. These include citizens of nearly 100 countries. About 3,700 of the foreign fighters who died were Ukrainian citizens.

It is noted that, in total, Russia has recorded about 400,000 deaths related to the war in Ukraine. Among them are 11,335 foreigners—people who were born outside Russia or held foreign citizenship. The publication notes that the number of foreign deaths in the war against Ukraine is rising—from approximately 630 in 2022 to over 5,500 in 2025.

About 3,700 of the foreign fatalities were either citizens of Ukraine or were born in Ukraine after it gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Most of them lived in the occupied territories of eastern and southern Ukraine. Overall, about 80% of the foreign fatalities were from former Soviet countries. 

The publication also notes that the database contains no information regarding the deaths of North Korean troops in Ukraine. According to the publication, this indicates that Russia did not issue death certificates for any North Koreans, as they were part of foreign units rather than individuals who had joined the Russian military.

In addition, the journalists highlight trends in Russian recruitment across various countries. Specifically, in 2023–2024, a significant number of fighters from Nepal died in the Russian army. And in 2024–2025, a significant number of soldiers from Sri Lanka and China were killed. Since late 2025, Rosstat has recorded an increase in the number of deaths among soldiers from Colombia, Kenya, and Nigeria. 

Another 300 or so of the dead were German citizens. Most of them were born before 1992 in East German garrison towns such as Potsdam and Magdeburg. Soviet and later Russian troops were stationed in these regions until 1994.
 

Nearly all of the deceased—specifically 99%—were men. Only 159 foreign women were recorded among the deceased. Of those, 154 were from the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Bloomberg reports this, citing data from the Rosstat database, which was hacked and leaked by Belarusian and Ukrainian hackers. 

As a reminder, citizens of 48 countries who fought for Russia are currently being held captive in Ukraine—Coordination Headquarters.

Russia has promised to stop recruiting Kenyans for the war against Ukraine.