Too young and no military experience: concerns over Irish men volunteering to fight in Ukraine

Gardaí have raised concerns about the manner in which young Irish men are seeking to join the Ukrainian foreign legion and in some cases the force has effectively blocked the recruitment process.

The Irish Times has learned that men in their late teens and early 20s have signed up for and been accepted to join the war effort despite having no combat experience and, in some cases, no military experience whatsoever.

This would appear to be a breach of the criteria the Ukrainian authorities have set down for recruitment, which is dependent on prior military or policing experience and sets a minimum age of 25 years for recruits.

Some young Irish men last year travelled to Ukraine to fight, despite having no experience, and gardaí have now received complaints about the apparent lax recruitment process. Some of the complainants were concerned about the suitability of some men who were about to depart for Ukraine, with some having left school only last summer.

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Garda sources confirmed the force had contacted the Ukrainian authorities and flagged their concerns. When the concerns were raised, a small number of those who had signed up were effectively delisted and their travel plans were cancelled.

The sources stressed that no laws, domestic or international, had been breached when people residing in Ireland decided of their own volition to volunteer to fight in Ukraine. Gardaí contacted Ukrainian recruitment authorities on foot of specific concerns in particular cases, rather than there being any wider objection to Irish people volunteering.

In reply to queries, Garda headquarters said the force was “aware of concerns expressed” in relation to “particular” candidates and were “continuing to engage” with the people involved. “An Garda Síochána cannot provide any further information.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs said while it could not comment on “the details of individual cases” it was strongly advising against all travel to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian embassy had not replied to a request for comment. However, the Irish men had not applied to fight in Ukraine through the embassy, instead using a website established to recruit for the International Legion of Defence of Ukraine (ILDU).

Sources familiar with some of the cases said a number of those who had signed up recently were adult teenagers, some of whom were due to travel to Ukraine last week. While their youth and lack of experience was a concern, some of the recruits also had significant underlying health issues which were not identified during the recruitment process.

It is understood that when these health issues were pointed out by gardaí who contacted the Ukrainian authorities, those concerns became the main reason for the recruitment process being blocked.

The same sources said that after the Irish men applied online to join the ILDU, their applications were very promptly approved and travel plans put in place. In some cases, a contact based in Northern Ireland was working with the men as they prepared to leave for Poland, from where they cross the border into Ukraine.

The recruits were advised to buy basic military equipment – such as clothing – before leaving Ireland, with a particular shop in Dublin recommended. Contracts the Irishmen signed promised payments of about $40,000 (€37,550) in return for fighting in Ukraine.

The first question volunteers are asked during the online application process is whether they have previous military or policing experience. If they reply ‘no’ the online application process is terminated, though applicants can login again immediately. The recruitment site also makes it clear that men who claim to have military or policing experience can be accepted even if they cannot furnish documents proving their claims.

“Putting it simply – it is hell on earth,” the recruitment site states. “This is not a place for a military tourism or an opportunity to gain extra skills – we don’t have time to train people that are not ready. If you’re not ready – each day could be your last day out there.

“There are many sad stories about foreign legionnaires being totally unprepared for Ukrainian warfare reality coming to Ukraine just to find out that they are not ready before they quit. In order to avoid their mistake, when filling the application please be as honest as possible, above all to yourself.” The application process also says anyone accepted to fight is expected to remain until the end of the war.