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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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Ukraine's military intelligence agency has formed a new unit made up of Russian soldiers as part of its international forces, the service announced on Monday.
Why It Matters
There are several groups of Russian citizens who have joined Kyiv's cause and opposed the Kremlin in the more than three years of war. Manpower is a significant concern for both sides, and defection is often embarrassing for the country losing personnel.
Read More on World
A collective of anti-Kremlin groups, including the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Siberian Battalion, launched a brief incursion into Russia at several points from Ukrainian territory in March 2024.
What To Know
Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency said on Monday that it had integrated a unit dubbed "Nomad" into the International Legion run by intelligence service.
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The "Nomad" unit was formed in late 2024, but had not been part of the Ukrainian GUR. Ukrainian media reported that the unit was largely made up of different ethnic groups in Russia, including Buryats from Siberia and Kalmyks, who hail from the southwestern Russian republic of Kalmykia.
The unit said in a separate post to social media on Monday that the decision came after "months of preparation, bureaucracy, [and] approvals."
The "Nomad" unit had signed an agreement with a GUR-backed hotline for Russian soldiers who want to surrender to Ukraine in late February, to funnel Russian defectors into the unit.
In an appeal for new recruits, the unit said it would offer "quality training and experienced instructors with combat experience," as well as equipment, the chance to apply for Ukrainian citizenship and a contract with Kyiv's defense ministry. It said that those involved in the unit could help those joining up cross the border into Ukraine from a variety of countries.
What People Are Saying
The "Nomad" unit in late February, before it was absorbed into the Ukrainian GUR, said: "You can live in the Russian Federation, Europe or America, or stand shoulder to shoulder with us in Ukraine — and in all cases be part of 'Nomad.'"
The GUR said on Monday that the "Nomad" unit, "composed of representatives of the indigenous peoples of the aggressor country, becomes part of the International Legion of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine."
What Happens Next
It is not yet clear how quickly efforts from the U.S., and separate initiatives from European allies of Ukraine, to secure some form of ceasefire agreement to halt the fighting will come to fruition.
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