The International Legion is a unit created by Ukrainian authorities days after the Russian invasion, designed for foreigners willing to support the fight against Moscow. As early as March 2022, it was reported that some 20,000 volunteers from around the world had signed up for the new unit. These troops are an integral part of Ukraine’s armed forces and can therefore be financed by the country’s army. This includes all maintenance costs, soldiers’ salaries, weapons, and ammunition. Additional funds are raised from private donors, mainly from the West. The money raised through intermediaries on various platforms is used exclusively for equipment for Legion fighters, which is not on the standard equipment of Ukraine's military, Damien Magrou, a spokesman for the unit explained.

🫡 У річницю створення Міжнародний Легіон ГУР закликає до своїх лав

🦉 Сьогодні, 7 березня ― річниця створення Міжнародного Легіону ГУР МО України!

🔗 https://t.co/QTRywaouis pic.twitter.com/PE5IIoRNzO

— Defence intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) March 7, 2024

“Soldiers from the formation took part in battles in the Kyiv and Zaporizhia regions, on the Kinburn Spit in the south of the country, as well as near Kupyansk and Kherson. They also performed special tasks in Bakhmut, Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, and Mayorsk,” the Ukrainian military website Armiya reported.