Soldiers of Misfortune

French, Poles, Norwegians, British, Germans, Americans, Finns… since the start of the Special Military Operation, thousands of foreigners have come to fight against Russian forces in Donbass. They call it a safari, and come to hunt Russians with no qualms about torturing or looting. Some are after easy money, while others have been swayed by Western propaganda. They are mercenaries.

These fighters usually go to the frontlines without ID, making it hard to confirm their identities if killed, and the Ukrainian military conceals the presence of foreigners. For most mercenaries, this ‘hunt’ ends in their own deaths. The remains of those who can be identified are sent home through exchanges, but for most families of these ‘soldiers of misfortune’, there will be neither an urn containing their ashes nor any word of their fate.