Three soldiers from Ukraine’s International Legion shared their experience fighting near Chasiv Yar on the eastern front as part of a mortar support team in a short documentary released by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR).
The International Legion is a military unit founded in 2022 primarily consisting of foreign volunteers, where HUR oversaw the operations of some of its units and regiments.
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A volunteer from an unspecified European country praised the effectiveness of the International Legion among the Ukrainian military and described his role and responsibility in the mortar team, which works mostly with 82mm mortars.
“I am the main gunner on the mortar. I adjust the sight and make sure that the mortar is laid on correctly. Usually, we work three or four days, and then we rotate with another team from our unit. It’s very important to quickly move in and out of our position.
“We also work to support our infantry. Usually, we have a three-man team working on the mortar with a crew commander who’s doing the calculations and communicating with the commanders and the drone teams, and we have two men on the mortar who adjust the sight and make sure that the mortar is working properly and drop the rounds,” he said.
However, the soldier also cautioned that Russian troops should not be underestimated.
“They have improved their drone capabilities a lot in the last two years, so it’s not an easy enemy, but there are definitely ways to beat the Russians,” he said, adding that motivation and adaptability are key to defeating the Russian troops.
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Another US volunteer said he joined the legion at the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
“I am a soldier in the International Legion here in Ukraine. I am an artilleryman, so I work with mortars, indirect fire, automatic grenade launchers,” said one of the US volunteers.
Another volunteer, a former US service member who goes by the name Sassi, said he’d been training for a long time to fight Russia.
“I spent some time in the US military, trained with them boys for a long time [...] It doesn’t matter whatever background you come from – come fight for the legion. Russia is not just an enemy of Ukraine; it’s an enemy of the world. You need to realize that,” said Sassi.
A recent HUR press release highlighted that International Legion fighters can terminate the contract “on their own initiative” after six months of service, as opposed to Ukrainian military personnel who are obliged to stay until the end of the war as per current legislation.
Foreigners interested in joining would need to register on the website, fill out a questionnaire and report on their experience and skills.
After that, the recruiting department would review the application and submit the candidacies to the combat unit – one of many within the Ground Forces, which might not be specifically a part of the international regiments – if found suitable, where the volunteer would then come to Ukraine, sign a contract, and join the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) officially.
The International Legion website provides extensive details on the enlistment process. It says the approximate salary is “$550 per month behind the frontline, $1,100 per month for service in a dangerous zone, and up to $4,800 per month for combat deployment” – the same as a regular Ukrainian soldier.
Officer roles within the International Legion can be occupied by Ukrainian citizens only.
In January, Kyiv Post interviewed fighters from the Kastus Kalinoŭski Regiment, a fighting unit formed by Belarusian nationals that is a part of Ukraine’s International Legion.
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