3rd Assault Brigade forms International Battalions

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, Ukraine has seen a significant influx of foreign volunteers joining various branches of its military. The first major organized unit, the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine, has played a key role throughout the war – helping to participate in the Kharkiv counteroffensive and the defense of Bakhmut. Other foreign volunteer units have been formed under the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine, such as the International Legion Defense Intelligence of Ukraine. Existing brigades have also made an effort to make specific units oriented around foreigners, becoming part of Ukraine’s broader effort to recruit more fighters to defend the nation against Russia’s unprovoked invasion.

Recently, several well-known units have begun forming dedicated international battalions, providing a more structured and official framework for foreign volunteers. On December 23, 2024, we were the first to report that the 12th Special Purpose Brigade “Azov” of the Ukrainian National Guard had restructured its 3rd Special Purpose Battalion, and had begun incorporating foreign volunteers – officially forming the 3rd International Battalion.

Instructor and volunteers of the 3rd International Battalion of “Azov” undergoing small arms training.

In a similar approach, the 3rd Assault Brigade has formed two international battalions to help better integrate foreigners into its ranks. Foreigners, notably Canadians, have previously served in the ranks of the 3rd Assault Brigade, with it known that they have served in its 2nd Assault Battalion, 2nd Assault Company – according to the International Legion’s YouTube channel.

According to Telegram on January 6, 2025, affiliates with the International Legion announced that the 3rd Assault Brigade had begun to accept individuals who only spoke Portuguese; no English or Spanish was required as outlined in the post. It also exclaimed that the unit’s NCO core had significant combat experience.

On January 27, 2025, our contributors had discovered that, according to a fighter of the brigade on X (formerly Twitter), that an International Battalion had indeed been formed and that different languages were to be separated to improve cohesion amongst fighters. Not much is known regarding the battalion, with it still not having received an insignia or any official confirmation by the brigade’s media about its existence, however, it has been confirmed by several foreign volunteers and it is expected to be composed predominantly of English and Portuguese-speaking individuals.

In late February 2025, an image emerged of a new chevron belonging to the 3rd Assault Brigade, as well as a fighter of Spanish or Hispanic origin present in the photo with the insignia. Upon further investigation by our contributors, we discovered the creation of another international battalion by the brigade; with the unit being designated as “Tormenta Hispana” – translating to Spanish Storm.

The insignia features a modified Azov-style chevron in the colours of the brigade, with one side only at an angle. The central element of the insignia is a lightning bolt, symbolising the unit’s proficiency in assault tactics. Above the insignia is a tab which bears the battalion’s nickname: ‘Tormenta Hispana’.

The origins of the Spanish Storm Battalion can be traced back to September 26, 2024, in which it established several social media pages such as Facebook, TikTok, and even has its own website to recruit volunteers into the unit. Both international units are still undergoing formation in an attempt to become a formidable and sizeable formation within the brigade before it conducts combat operations. They will most likely be deployed within the first half of 2025.

Many foreign units such as the International Legion have been heavily criticized, especially after investigations conducted by the Kyiv Independent. These investigations have become a series of articles slating the units for sending volunteers on so-called “suicide missions”, reporting alleged cases of abuse, as well as commanders physically threatening volunteers. Other articles by the Kyiv Independent further indicate that Legionnaires report poor control over equipment and arms in battalions, drug and alcohol abuse, and keep around individuals with controversial or criminal backgrounds.

While the formation of foreign battalions within established brigades, particularly well-organized, well-led, and well-funded units like the 3rd Assault Brigade, appears promising – it remains to be seen whether lessons from past shortcomings, such as those highlighted by the Kyiv Independent, will be addressed. Only time will tell whether these new formations will avoid the issues that have plagued earlier international units in previous years.