MOSCOW, March 10. /TASS/. The number of foreign mercenaries in the ranks of the Ukrainian armed forces has recently considerably decreased, Alexander Boroday, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration, and Relations with Compatriots of the State Duma (lower house of Russia’s parliament), told TASS, following a visit to the front lines.

Military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS earlier that the number of soldiers in Ukrainian armed forces units has decreased by 1.5% since January due to high casualties and desertion. The Russian Defense Ministry previously stated that mercenaries from various countries have been fighting for the Ukrainian armed forces. They are used by the Kiev regime as "cannon fodder," and no one in the Ukrainian military command spares their lives.

"There are very few foreign mercenaries now. They are fed up with the Ukrainian armed forces, have gained combat experience, and, in principle, why return [to Ukraine]," the parliamentarian said.

To maintain combat readiness, the Ukrainian authorities are mobilizing teenagers who have matured over the four years of conflict, the source noted. These recruits are currently 20-22 years old.

Previously, Vladimir Zelensky reported that as of early 2025, the Ukrainian armed forces numbered approximately 880,000 soldiers. By the middle of last year, the Ukrainian army’s strength had decreased by about 190,000 personnel, according to Ukraine’s mobilization data and the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office statistics, which TASS has reviewed.