International Legion of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine

The Legion is composed of fighters, mostly veterans from all over the world. As of 7 March 2022, volunteers and veterans from 52 countries around the world, totaling over 20,000 people, had expressed their desire to join the Legion, mostly experienced fighters who had participated in many peacekeeping campaigns throughout the world.^[20] Most volunteers were from Poland, Scotland, Greece, Brazil,^[21] Colombia, the United States, Georgia, Norway, Australia and New Zealand.^[19] According to Kyiv Independent, this unit numbered up to 500 people and constituted approximately a third as company to the Foreign Legion.^[3]

External videos
Від 18-річних до спецпризначенців: як Міжнародний легіон ГУР вербує іноземців on YouTube // DW Ukrainian. — 2024

The legion has been subjected to many controversies such as sexual abuse against female personnel of the legion, suicide missions, warcrimes, looting and many more.^[3][4]

Officially, the Legion is commanded by Major Vadym Popyk but actually Major Taras Vashuk, Vashuk's uncle (also Taras) and Sasha Kuchynsky exert a massive influence over the legion. The legionnaires have accused the trio of having conducted many crimes including incompetence and sending the soldiers for suicide missions. During the Battle of Mykolaiv, Russians discovered a position of the legion and heavily shelled it, others were evacuated and they were left alone to fend for themselves and hold the defenses. Due to the incompetence of legion commanders, an American volunteer Scott Sibley was killed and three were severely wounded. Just as one detachment was able to leave the position, another was sent there despite resistance by the legionnaires, again four volunteers were killed, several more were wounded, and one American volunteer Andrew Hill was captured and faces a possible execution, all due to the command's incompetence.^[3] At first, the Brazilian unit spent two weeks in demining operations in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. In early June 2022, a few days into the mission, they were suddenly shifted to take part in the Battle of Sievierodonetsk, completely unprepared, not even knowing the positions of friendly troops, the planning was done without coordination with other units. Due to a lack of communication and incompetence by the high command, a Brazilian legionnaire was killed and many more including the Brazilian Platoon leader were wounded, almost the entire platoon resigned as a result of the command's incompetence.^[3] During the Battle of Lysychansk, legionnaires were ordered by the command to loot a local shopping mall stealing valuables including furniture, shoes, women's clothes, jewelry, watches and electronics, many soldiers resisted the others and many were forced to comply.^[3][4]

An American Jewish volunteer, alleged that the command of the legion was antisemitic and discriminated against Jewish personnel.^[3][4]

Kuchynsky was reported to have tried to confiscate personal equipment from the legionnaires and even pointing guns at the personnel.^[3][4]

Kuchynsky also sexually harassed female medics in their unit, causing a few medics to leave the unit and the country and was constantly being covered up by other members of the high command.^[3][4]

It was even reported that Sasha Kuchynsky was not even the actual name but it was Piotr Kapuscinski, a former major Polish criminal who fled Poland in 2014 and emerged in October 2016 in Ukraine for committing sexual assault and aggravated robbery for which he faced jail time. In 2017, Poland requested his extradition but was refused. In May 2021, he was arrested for the illegal possession of a semi-automatic pistol and explosives facing seven years in prison but was released on bail. He volunteered to join the military in February 2022. He was once detained and questioned by the Security Service of Ukraine for drawing a gun on an American soldiers and then by the Military Prosecution Office for power, fraud, and assault.^[3][4]

The command has been known to misuse donated equipment, keeping a part for themselves and even selling some of the equipment to soldiers in order to get money. This corruption even led to two soldiers losing their hearing as a result for not having been able to obtain headphones that were kept in the armory but not provided to the soldiers.^[3][4]