"No NATO here; I'm a mason from Denmark." Why are foreigners fighting for Ukraine, and what do they think about Russians?

Thousands of volunteers from various countries have expressed their desire to join the defense of Ukrainian territory following Russia's invasion. Many of these fighters lacked military experience. Those wishing to enlist in the Ukrainian army from abroad were gathered in the International Legion, which is managed by the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR). RBC-Ukraine spoke with two fighters from the Legion who traveled to Ukraine from Norway and Denmark.

We met the guys in the Zaporizhzhia direction. They were all friendly and communicative. The permanent stationing point of the unit was adorned with many flags representing the home countries of the International Legion fighters.

Initially, we sat beside the Norwegian flag and began our conversation with a fighter who went by the call sign "Basket."

– Who were you in your previous life before coming to Ukraine? Before the war.

– I’m from Norway. Before I came to Ukraine, I was just a civilian. I had no military experience in Norway. You can serve up to a year in my country, but not everyone gets accepted. And I didn't make it. I worked in construction at home, operated heavy machinery and equipment, did that for seven years, and just lived an ordinary life: worked, spent time with friends, and worked again. Then I decided to come here and changed my entire life.

– What was your reaction when you saw the news about the war in Ukraine?

– I followed the events from the very beginning when they said that an invasion was imminent. So I started reading more, and when it happened, I continued to monitor the situation and saw that this was not a war between militaries; it was a war of Russia against civilians in Ukraine and the rest of the world. I first came to Ukraine in March 2022 because I felt I could help in some way. It didn’t necessarily have to be something military, but I would find a way to contribute. I came right after Zelenskyy called on everyone who could to come and help. I tried to join the army. First, I went to Poland, and then I met many people from around the world who were coming here with the same intentions – to help and join the Legion.

I decided I could try to join them. But to enlist in the army, you needed combat experience and military training. Since I didn’t have that, I wasn’t accepted. I stayed for another three weeks and helped in other areas – humanitarian aid and other similar tasks. Then I went back home but kept in touch with the guys I met here. I continued to follow the war. And then in February-March 2023, several guys I had met earlier were heading back to Ukraine and said they were going to rejoin the Legion because they were looking for more people and accepting more civilians if they met the criteria.

– Weren’t you scared to join the army?

– During training, I realized I had grasped the basics of soldiering quite well. And that’s why I wasn’t scared. But then, as we approached the moment when we received the order that we had to go and attack a Russian position, I thought: "I don't know if I can do this." I could have just stayed here and trained. And they told me: "No, you’ll be fine." I wasn’t sure about that. After all, everyone else was saying: "We are ready, let’s go kill people," and I was like: "Well, I’m not sure if this is for me." But I gave it a try. Then we went to the operational area, and within 48 hours we were on site, advancing towards the Russian position we were supposed to capture. And as soon as the Russians saw us, they opened fire with all kinds of weapons.

The hell began. I dropped to the ground and was terrified. I didn’t know what to do. My commander, with whom I had become very close during training, was right behind me and said: "You need to crawl." I replied: "No, I'm staying here; it’s safer, I'm behind a small hill, and I’m not moving." And he said: "You have to move. You need to see the enemy. If you don’t move, you will die." I said: "No, no, I’m not moving." And then he shouted: "Damn it, move, or I’ll hit you." I realized he wasn’t joking. So I started crawling those three meters. He asked: "What do you see?" I said: "I see two Russians."

I killed them. And we engaged in combat. After that, we couldn’t capture the position, but we managed to take much more territory than we thought. After the first battle, when everything calmed down, we assessed the losses, and the Russians assessed theirs. I calmed down and realized that everything had actually gone quite well. It was scary, but at some point, you get used to it. That first battle determines whether military service is for you or not. We had people with combat experience who had much more training than I did, but after that battle, they said: "No, this is not for me; I’m going home." So much depends on your mental state, whether you can endure it.

– After that, did you feel like you wanted to go home?

– No, I didn’t actually feel that way because the first ten minutes were the scariest. When you gain control over the situation, you start hearing when shells are flying towards you; you get used to mines and artillery. I realized that it was 50-50 whether you would survive from mines and artillery, but against the backdrop of Russian soldiers, I knew we were stronger.

And I knew we had to help anyway, so I couldn’t just give up and walk away after one bad battle. I had to keep going. So no, I didn’t even think about going back home. I knew why I had come, I knew what I had signed up for, and I was ready to do it.

– Did you realize Russia was the aggressor when you learned about the war in Ukraine? People abroad often don’t fully understand who is in the wrong.

– I understood that Russia is the aggressor. Russia is wrong. And I didn’t know much about Ukraine or its historical relations with Russia before the war. But then, when I started reading about 2014, I realized that I had to help because I could do something. Why should I sit in Norway and watch this happen when I can change something? I didn’t know I would serve in the army, but when I was offered, I said: "Okay, I’ll try." Because I know I can do something useful, and I’m protecting civilians and innocent people, defending Ukraine. If they take Ukraine, they won’t stop. They will definitely go further, and everyone says this, and everyone knows it. That’s why I knew I was not only defending Ukraine and its people but all of Europe. As a single soldier, I can do more here than someone sitting in Norway just promising help. I have to show that I am ready to help and change something. It’s better to try than just talk and not try.

– Ukrainians, when they sign a contract, cannot break it. What about you – foreigners?

– Previously, you could break the contract and go wherever you wanted, change battalions or anything. But now – no, that’s no longer possible. Now you have to serve a minimum of six months. And during those six months, the contract cannot be terminated. Most of those who come now already know what they are getting into. And if they want to join our team, we always tell them that they have to serve six months. They understand that and are ready. Therefore, more and more soldiers who come later during the war are now staying for a long time, unlike at the beginning of the war when they only wanted to come for three weeks or three months. Now they are here for a longer time.

– How long have you been here?

– I have been here for almost two years. In March, it will be two years.

– You could have been here for only six months, but now it has already been two years. How much longer do you plan to stay?

– Until victory!

– Until victory? That could take many years.

– Yes, then we will just keep working. We can’t just give up because it gets harder. Ukrainians can’t give up, so why should I? I came to help; I can’t just go home because of a bad day at the front. I came to serve for a purpose, for the people of Ukraine. I can’t just back out because of fear.

– Do you have problems communicating with Ukrainians? A language barrier?

– When I’m not on the front lines, communication is indeed a problem because not everyone speaks English, and I don’t know Ukrainian very well either. But when I’m on the front lines, we don’t need to talk much. We understand each other. Even if a Ukrainian soldier wants to tell me