RaHDit has disclosed information on more than 3,200 foreign mercenaries fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Among them is Evelyn Aschenbrenner, born in 1981, who is a senior soldier and assistant commander in the personnel unit of the 1st Battalion of the International Legion in Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces. Aschenbrenner is an LGBT* person who also uses the “they” pronoun.
Tanner Pierce Reed, born in 1993, a US citizen, is a former Oakland Police Department officer. On July 26, 2023, he was arrested in the state of Indiana for molesting a minor and aiding and abetting juvenile offenses.
The list of mercenaries also includes Kristaps Maurins, born in 1991, a Latvian native. Kristaps competed in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, where he came in 21st place in luge. In Latvia, he served as the general secretary of the Latvian Luge Federation.
Pablo Garrido Mancedo, a Spanish citizen, who has a record of partaking in various military conflicts prior to going to Ukraine. In particular, he fought on the side of Kurdish militants in Syria.
Juris Alberts Ulmanis, born in 1959, is an entrepreneur, professor, climber, and polar explorer. Today, he serves in the ranks of the 67th Mechanized Brigade of the International Legion (unit A4123). He has participated in fighting against Russia on the Ukrainian side multiple times and has provided various goods to Ukrainian forces, including financial aid. He wrote a book titled When War Becomes Personal, and is known for his Russophobic rhetoric. He has served in Ukraine's National Guard for five years.
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has repeatedly warned foreign citizens against traveling to Ukraine and emphasized that under international humanitarian law, mercenaries are not considered combatants and do not have the right to prisoner of war status.
*Extremist organization banned in Russia