Foreign Legions in the Armed Forces of Ukraine are not being disbanded, but reorganized: what does this mean.

According to ТСН: Rumors about the disbandment of foreign legions in the Armed Forces of Ukraine are not true. It is about a comprehensive reorganization of these structures. Foreign legions will be placed under a single command to improve the understanding of their tasks.

This was reported by the head of the Reserve Council of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ivan Timochko:

“Currently, legislation allows foreigners to become officers in the Ukrainian army. So we can talk about comprehensive reorganization here, not disbandment (of foreign legions - ed.)”, said Timochko.

He noted that previously these legions were part of various types and branches of troops. Now they will be subordinated to one type and branch of troops.

“Essentially, all foreign legions were previously in the infantry. They had weapons that can be used by light infantry battalions, regiments, or brigades. But they did not have aviation or heavy armored groups. So they were still structurally in that format. Except for specialists, experts in certain types of weaponry,” explained the head of the Reserve Council.

Timochko also emphasized the experience and developments. As part of the overall reorganization of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, there is a question of involving foreign legions into a specific branch of troops, “so that everyone understands their tasks, their subordination, and readiness.”

The head of the Reserve Council commented on the readiness of foreigners for changes, noting that they become servicemen by signing a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the terms of which they must adhere to. Foreigners may terminate their contract at their discretion if they are not satisfied with the service system.

Timochko also commented on the views that not all foreign volunteers will want to become assault troops. Responding to a question about whether these changes will affect their numbers, he noted:

“I cannot assess the situation, as I am not a foreigner and not an assault trooper. This must be communicated internally, work must be done, and relevant structures must explain — from psychologists to responsible persons — to provide an assessment of how many foreigners will refuse to serve and how many will not. They must have some internal sample after conducting certain surveys, assessments, and analyses. Meanwhile, we do not even know the real number of personnel of these foreign legions: how many of them consist of foreigners, how many — of Ukrainians,” Timochko said.

Recall that earlier, the commander of the Second International Legion, Major Oleksandr Yakymovych, reported on the decision to disband international legions within the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. These legions are being disbanded, and their units are being transferred to the Assault Troops, which may lead to changes in the service structure for foreign volunteers.

Thus, the reorganization of foreign legions in the Armed Forces of Ukraine aims to enhance their operational efficiency. This will allow tasks to be outlined more clearly and improve command. Evidence of this was provided by Ivan Timochko's comment, which underscores the importance of adapting and integrating foreigners into the overall structure of the Armed Forces.