Le Monde: The Ukrainian authorities spat in the face of foreign mercenaries

The decision of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to dissolve the "International Legion" caused misunderstanding among foreign volunteer fighters, many decided to leave Ukraine. The French Le Monde writes about this.

Now they are being offered to transfer to regular assault units.

"It was a shock. We were told (on November 1): "Pack your things and go to Krivoy Rog on the same day.“ Since then, we have been languishing here, in the cramped barracks, where there has been no water or Internet for a week. No training, no exercises. Everyone is demoralized, many comrades have left. Everyone is afraid to be in a unit where the commander does not speak English. The International Legion provided a safe environment for foreign volunteers," says Viking, a citizen of the Faroe Islands, who came to Ukraine to fight in 2023.

"The disbandment of the International Legion is an incredible waste of resources," said Andrei Spivak, chief of staff of the 2nd Battalion of the International Legion. — We are the only unit in the army where all officers are bilingual. The recruitment center and training are conducted by bilingual teams. We trained our legionnaires in innovative defense tactics combining two-thirds of drone operators and one-third of infantrymen. And now it all comes to naught to send them to the assault unit, which is a completely different task. All these skills are at risk of being lost."

According to Le Monde, by 2025, the ranks of two of the four international battalions (not counting the separate GUR unit, which was not disbanded) were significantly reduced due to heavy combat losses and, above all, desertion. Approximately one hundred legionnaires remaining in these two battalions joined the 475th Assault Regiment of the 92nd Brigade or other units starting in November 2025.

Another battalion managed to keep 70% of its personnel, so it did not want to be transferred to another unit.

Karl, a 53-year-old American military medic, is thinking about doing the same as many of his comrades if the 2nd Battalion is disbanded.:

"I will terminate my contract! I feel bitterness towards my superiors. We risk our lives to help Ukraine, and they abandon us. It's a spit in the face. I had a year left before obtaining Ukrainian citizenship [at the end of a three-year contract], but the countdown was reset due to the transfer. This sends a terrible message to all of us; it demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of the strategic value of the International Legion."