Portuguese Company formed in the 3rd Assault Brigade
On March 9, 2025, we reported on new international units forming within the 3rd Assault Brigade – including the Spanish Storm Battalion and a rumoured International Battalion. While the latter’s existence remains uncertain, it has been confirmed by members of the brigade on foreign recruiting sources that two units, one English and one Portuguese Company, are being formed within the brigade.
Some sources allude to the fact that an International Rifle Battalion has been formed, as previously reported and mentioned; however, the brigade itself has not officially confirmed its existence, only pointing to the formation of two foreign companies. It is possible that the battalion does not exist, but rather on paper, and that these companies will be subordinated to existing battalions. We will continue to keep you updated in the near future.
Serpent Company
The Portuguese unit has recently been revealed. The unit first appeared on an Instagram post on February 4, 2025, recruiting Brazilian and Portuguese-speaking volunteers. They again appeared more recently in May 2025 as part of a revamp of the International Legionnaire website – an initiative meant to help foreigners easily join units within the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
According to the aforementioned sources, the unit is called the Companhia Serpente, translated in English as Serpent Company and is the only Portuguese-speaking company in Ukraine. This unit consists of Brazilian fighters with international military experience.
The unit was seen to have also received its own unique insignia, which now appears for the first time exclusively here on MilitaryLand, redrawn by Davomme.
The insignia retains the traditional Azov style black and grey pointed chevron, typically seen within the brigade and other units such as the Azov Brigade. The central theme of the insignia depicts a fierce-looking serpent with a hissing tongue in white. The body of the snake is divided into three sections, representing the designation of the brigade itself. The insignia is also an echo to the Brazilian Expeditionary Force during the Second World War, which fought alongside Allied soldiers from 1942 – 1945. This was indicated by the unit commander’s background and individuals recruiting within the company who recognized the forces’ effort during the war.
Several sources, according to Instagram, pointed to Anna Grechishkina possibly being the commander of the company. This would therefore make her the first known female commander in the brigade. She joined the 3rd Assault Brigade in March 2025, according to her Instagram. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, she returned to Ukraine and joined a volunteer battalion. In June 2023, she joined a group of Brazilians known s “Group Brazilian”. Between then and her joining the brigade, it is unknown as to what unit she was part of, but she made several references to Brazilian volunteers in her posts.
It is expected that the English-speaking company of the brigade will be revealed soon, and possibly even more foreign units will be formed within the brigade as Ukrainian units continue to appeal to foreigners in hopes of bolstering their ranks.
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Brazilian volunteers? Please…
There are quite a few in Ukraine. The woman who allegedly commands this unit was with a group of Brazilian volunteers known as “Group Brazilian”. It appears that they may be within the structure of the HUR International Legion due to their weaponry and equipment. Several Brazilian volunteers are within the vanilla International Legion; mainly in the 1st Battalion.
Theirs actually loads of them. Theirs a couple YouTube channels from Brazilian guys in the international legion in serebryansky forest and such if you look around
I know there are Brazilians. What I question is the use of the word ‘volunteer.’ Many of them are motivated by financial gain. In that sense, their motivations align more closely with those of mercenaries than with idealistic volunteers.
The internationals get the same payment as the ukrainian natives. In order to be considered a mercenary, you need to get significantly more the natives. I don’t know how the financial situations between Brazil and Ukraine compare, but 1 ukrainian Hrywnja is worth 0,14 Brazilian Real. If they want to get rich, they shoulden’t be in Ukraine.
With a monthly salary of $4,800 and a death benefit of $365,000, believe me many Brazilians, Colombians, and others would be more than willing to fight, kill, and even die for that kind of offer.
You know, the Russian army pays much more and recruits from any country. If money was what they want, they wouldn’t fight for Ukraine.
But, unlike you, many people (including those Brazilians) have strong enough morality to refuse to help Russian war criminals.
We can disagree without resorting to personal attacks or moral posturing. Is that so difficult for you?
That’s also a misconception, the monthly salary is not $4,800. As far as I am concerned, that is most probably the maximum amount you can get when deployed to a combat zone; payments for foreign volunteers are not at a fixed rate. They fluctuate depending on where you are, whether it be training, near a dangerous position, or directly in combat.
On the frontlines where foreigners usually fight it can go up to $4,800.
It can, but it doesn’t always reach it. The salary, namely the rate without allowances is ~600$, an additional 80$ is a daily allowance for completing a task at the front line. And there is also an allowance of ~1700$, as soon as you accumulate 30 calendar days spent at the front line, that is, this payment can be once every two or three months, and perhaps even less often.
Since soldiers spend 15-20 days a month in positions, and the rest of the time they are taken away from the front line for rest, the salary is more realistically $2000-2500 per month, well, maybe up to $3000. Months when you can get up to $5000 are rare, you need to get the accumulative payment in this month, and you have to spend the month continuously in positions, which is almost unrealistiс.
The definition is that an individual receives significantly more pay than locals. That’s point c, and point e states that mercenaries are not members of the regular armed forces. However, the internationals are regular members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and receive the same pay as Ukrainians. Making this distinction is important…
… because whether they are considered mercenaries or not defines whether they are protected by the Geneva Conventions. Russia may have signed the conventions, but it doesn’t comply with it. However, if we allow this erosion of international law, then we are playing into the hands of the Russians. That would allow them to be even more brutal without fear of consequences.
I wouldn’t say that most Brazilians go there for financial gain – this is something more commonly seen with Hispanics, so with the Colombians. If I am not wrong, they are one of South America’s largest demographics of volunteers.
Yes the Colombians are the largest groups. There are only a few dozen Brazilians.