Foreign Fighters in Ukraine and Beyond

Jan 24, 2026

Colin Freeman, British journalist who reported from conflict zones and wrote about Ukraine’s foreign volunteers. Dr. David Malet, scholar of foreign fighter recruitment and transnational conflict. They trace a long history of foreign fighters, explore varied motivations from mercenary pay to ideological calling, compare recruitment tactics across theaters, and debate the mixed battlefield effects and policy implications.

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ANECDOTE

Hotel Register Revealed Early Foreign Fighters

Colin Freeman recounts seeing foreign terrorists listed at his cheap Baghdad hotel in 2003.
He later tracked volunteers to Ukraine after Zelensky's appeal, noting 20,000 early applicants.

INSIGHT

Motivations Shift From Pay To Purpose

Modern foreign volunteers often join for idealism, adventure, or redemption rather than pay.
Private security work now offers safer, better-paid alternatives to frontline volunteering.

ANECDOTE

Volunteers Seek Redemption And Purpose

Freeman shares stories of volunteers seeking redemption, including an ex-prisoner preferring to die for a cause.
Many volunteers are ex-military, bored civilians, or ex-offenders seeking a fresh identity.

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Episode 145 examines the role of foreign fighters in war.

Our guests begin by highlighting the long history of foreign fighters in conflict, from the early United States and the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s to contemporary cases such as the International Legion in Ukraine and the role of foreign fighters in ISIS. The conversation then turns to why individuals risk their lives for others in far away lands, with motivations ranging from financial incentives and ideological commitments to deeply personal reasons. Finally, the discussion concludes by examining the impact foreign fighters have on the battlefield – with the results often being mixed.

Dr. David Malet is an Associate Professor at American University whose research focuses on foreign fighter recruitment, insurgency, and transnational conflict dynamics. He is the author of the book Foreign Fighters: Transnational Identity in Civil Conflicts, a comprehensive study of why and how individuals join wars far from home.

Colin Freeman is a British journalist and former chief foreign correspondent for The Sunday Telegraph. He has reported extensively from conflict zones around the world, including recently in Ukraine. His book The Mad and the Brave: The Untold Story of Ukraine’s Foreign Legion tells the stories of foreign volunteers who joined Ukraine’s defense during the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Kyle Atwell is the host for episode 145. Please reach out to him with any questions about the episode or IWI.

The Irregular Warfare Podcast is a production of the Irregular Warfare Initiative (IWI). We are a team of volunteers dedicated to bridging the gap between scholars and practitioners to support the community of irregular warfare professionals. IWI generates written and audio content, coordinates events for the IW community, and hosts critical thinkers in the field of irregular warfare as IWI fellows. You can follow and engage with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.

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All views expressed in this episode are the personal views of the participants and do not represent those of any government agency or of the Empirical Studies of Conflict Project.

Intro music: “Unsilenced” by Ketsa

Outro music: “Launch” by Ketsa

Illustrative image generated by AI. It does not depict a real individual.