This infographic is fake. In a comment to StopFake, a representative of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stated that the statistics being circulated online were not produced by ISW and do not reflect the views or assessments of ISW analysts. The online platform Statista has also never published the infographic.
Information is circulating on the Internet that no less than 60% of foreigners who fought in the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly suffered severe injuries during the fighting between August 6 and October 1.
To support this claim, users share an infographic with the Statista logo, showing data on the percentage of foreign fighters allegedly disabled, with a breakdown by country: 89% from Colombia, 88% from Poland, 62% from Germany, 71% from France, and 64% from the US. The graphic also claims that these numbers coincide chronologically with Ukraine’s operations in the Kursk region of Russia. The graphic falsely claims that the data comes from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S.-based think tank specializing in the analysis of modern conflicts, including Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
In reality, this information is false. The infographic circulating online is most likely fake.
First of all, Statista, a German online platform specializing in data collection and visualization, has never published this specific infographic, despite closely following the events in Ukraine. Statistics on civilian casualties from Russian aggression, the number of refugees from Ukraine, and an estimate of the total cost of damage from the war in Ukraine are among Statista’s recent publications.
We could not find any information on their website or social media regarding «foreign mercenaries» in Ukraine.
The very use of the term «mercenaries» to refer to foreigners fighting on Ukraine’s side is characteristic of Russian propaganda (more on this in the article Fake: Foreigners Fighting for Ukraine Are Mercenaries).
StopFake also reached out to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) to see if it had published data on the number of foreigners injured fighting for Ukraine. Evan Moore, ISW’s deputy director for external relations, responded to StopFake, confirming that the statistics circulating online were not produced by ISW and do not reflect the institute’s assessments or views. All ISW materials are available through official channels.
«We are aware of graphical images created by third parties that allegedly reference the Institute for the Study of War to promote information and/or assessments that ISW has not made,» noted the representative. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Kremlin propaganda has regularly spread disinformation about so-called foreign mercenaries and NATO soldiers fighting for Ukraine. More details on this can be found in the following articles: Fake: Polish Mercenaries Return from War in Ukraine in Coffins – Video, Fake: Over a Thousand ‘Polish Mercenaries’ Have Died Since Russia’s War Against Ukraine Began, Fake: Bodies of French Soldiers Are Being Sent Home from Ukraine – Photo.
