A Russian ‘war correspondent’ has spread claims that, due to a shortage of its own fighters, Ukraine's so-called ‘neo-Nazi’ Azov Brigade has announced recruitment efforts targeting English-speaking ‘mercenaries’. The propagandist attributes this information to a report by The Guardian.  

The January 10, 2025, article from ‘The Guardian’ does indeed discuss efforts by Ukraine's Azov Brigade to bolster its ranks with English-speaking fighters. However, the publication does not refer to the brigade as ‘neo-Nazi’, nor does it use the term ‘mercenaries’, as this characterization is inaccurate and misleading.  

Propagandists deliberately misuse the term ‘mercenaries’ instead of the correct term ‘combatants’ when describing foreign fighters serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the Geneva Conventions, mercenaries participate in armed conflict illegally. They are neither citizens nor official servicemembers of the state involved in the conflict, distinguishing them from combatants, who act lawfully as part of a nation's armed forces.  

Previously, we analyzed similar Russian disinformation, such as false claims that the Ukrainian Embassy in France was openly recruiting ‘mercenaries’ without interference from French authorities.