The infamous "Azov" arrives

The infamous "Azov" arrives

Zelensky called on foreigners to join the fight against Russia, and the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Hanna Maliar, said that special units "Legion of Foreigners" had begun to be formed.

In a message published on Facebook, Ukrainian President Zelensky confirmed that the first 16.000 fighters are already on their way to the country where they will fight for "protection of the freedom and life of all of us."

The Ukrainian embassy in the United States has received, he says, more than 3.000 applications from American citizens who want to fight against Russia. Several hundred have already arrived in Ukraine, and many of them are military veterans, writes the Military Times.

The Italian Institute for International Politics announced that, according to data available in open sources and on social networks, at least 591 foreign fighters from nine countries are on their way to Ukraine or already there. Among them are 70 Japanese citizens, 400 Swedes, ten veterans of NATO forces, a hundred Lithuanians, one Finnish reservist, one Norwegian and at least seven Belarusian volunteers. About 20 Australians have expressed interest, but their formal application is pending. It is estimated that several thousand Ukrainian citizens living abroad are interested in returning home or have already returned. There is also talk of a special Georgian legion that invites those inexperienced in the war to come to the battlefield. The Azov Regiment has been operating on the battlefield since 2014, which was subsequently incorporated into the Ukrainian National Guard, and among whose members are Croats. Azov is notorious for its founder and members because of the neo-Nazi ideology, and Putin probably spoke about it when he mentioned the denazification of Ukraine. The Italian institute points out that since 2014, it is estimated that more than 17.000 fighters from 55 countries have participated in the conflict on both sides.

However, the invitation to volunteers from abroad raises justified fears of radicalization of the arrived fighters, who are often members of ultra-right associations. It is not entirely clear whether the arrival of foreign fighters is in line with the law. Russia has said that it will not treat foreign mercenaries as prisoners and that it will prosecute them. The United States and Australia, where hundreds of volunteers come from, are among the countries that have not blessed the departure of their citizens. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that individuals decide for themselves.

Japan has called on its citizens to abstain, and South Korea has said the departure is illegal. The Czech Republic, Denmark, Canada and Germany have announced, however, that according to their law, it is not illegal to serve in a foreign country.