Volodymyr Zelensky declared on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine that World War Three had already begun.
His statement reflected the increasingly global nature of Russia’s war, which has seen troops from countries across the world brought in to either bolster Putin’s aggression or support Ukraine’s resistance.
Since February 2022, around 55,000 Ukrainians have been killed in bitter fighting on the frontlines, according to Ukrainian estimates. Russia has suffered an estimated 1.2 million casualties, including at least 325,000 deaths, according to recent analysis.
Some 20,000 men from overseas are now estimated to have joined Russia’s invasion. Many have been falsely sold the promise of lucrative employment away from the frontlines. Ukraine has offered professional soldiers fixed contracts paying rates higher than what they could earn at home.
Moscow has used foreign troops to alleviate the strain on its forces and, crucially, delay another round of politically contentious mobilisation – a move likely to spark public anger.
Ahead of the fourth anniversary of the conflict, The Independent looks at some of the countries dragged into Russia’s war in Ukraine.
North Korea assumed a major role in the conflict in support of Russia in late 2024, helping to set back a bold Ukrainian counteroffensive into Russian-held territory.
The first reports of North Koreans training in Russia came in the weeks after emboldened Ukrainian forces launched a summer offensive into Russia’s Kursk region. Pyongyang would commit some 17,000 troops to Russia in total, according to recent British estimates.
Most of the soldiers came from North Korea’s elite ‘Storm Corps’, which are trained for infiltration and sabotage operations. They remained in Kursk to help Russia recover control of its own region before mostly withdrawing.
The UK Ministry of Defence assessed in June that Pyongyang had likely sustained more than 6,000 casualties fighting Ukraine – a little over a third of its forces.
Emil Kastehelmi, military analyst and cofounder of the Finland-based open-source intelligence collective Black Bird Group, told The Independent that “after fighting in Kursk, they’ve taken a less active role against Ukrainians”.
He said that while multiple brigades were used in Kursk, no such force has since been transferred to Donetsk, the region of eastern Ukraine sought by Putin.
North Korea has been fighting its own propaganda war at home, glorifying the troops sent to Kursk with a new memorial complex and a housing district set aside for the families of slain soldiers. Analysis say such treatment is aimed at curbing public discontent.
Harrowing footage showing the abuse of African soldiers by Russian troops sparked outrage late last year.
