Marina says not afraid to stand in Malay-majority seats

Marina says not afraid to stand in Malay-majority seats


Outgoing Skudai rep says she has been involved in political fieldwork in Malay-majority areas since 2021\

Marina Ibrahim carrying out volunteer work in the Layang-Layang state constituency. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Outgoing Skudai assemblyman Marina Ibrahim has rejected suggestions that she is afraid to contest in Malay-majority areas, saying she has been involved in political fieldwork in such constituencies since 2021.

Marina said she was sent to Layang-Layang in 2021 to carry out grassroots work and set up a community centre, and that she was initially expected to contest the seat during the March 2022 Johor election.

“I was fresh, inexperienced, and new in politics when I was sent to work in Layang-Layang,” she wrote in a Facebook post published shortly after midnight.


“At that time, I was expected to face Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who was then Johor tourism, youth and sports exco.”


She said she also served as campaign manager in Mersing during the 2022 general election, where a first-time DAP candidate contested in a constituency with about 76% Malay voters without losing her deposit.


“If we truly wanted to expand the party in Malay areas, a coordinator should have been appointed long ago,” she said.

“Grassroots members have raised this issue repeatedly. So, where is the coordinator to develop the seat?”

Marina eventually stood in Skudai in the 2022 Johor polls, where she won with 26,359 votes, defeating Barisan Nasional’s Lim Soon Hai (12,416 votes) and Perikatan Nasional’s Khoo Keng Ek (6,258 votes).

On May 31, she announced that she was leaving politics and would not seek re-election in Skudai.


Johor DAP chairman Teo Nie Ching responded by disclosing that the party had planned to move Marina to contest the Tiram seat, and that she had intended to propose Marina for the chairmanship of a statutory body regardless of the electoral outcome.


A letter purportedly written by Marina to Teo, stemming from a May 17 discussion, was later circulated on social media. In it, Marina rejected the seat transfer and declined what she described as a GLC post.

Marina said her decision to leave politics had nothing to do with frustration or a preference for safer ground.

“This is not about winning or losing. My decision has nothing to do with being upset or wanting a comfortable seat. That’s nonsense,” she said.

Johor not good barometer of national sentiment, BN warned

Johor not good barometer of national sentiment, BN warned


2 hours ago
Minderjeet Kaur


Oh Ei Sun says Johor may be a Barisan Nasional stronghold and Umno's birthplace, but victory there should not be mistaken for a nationwide resurgence

A BN win in Johor may reflect voters’ approval of menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s performance, rather than indicate a national-level revival for BN. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional may be widely expected to win in the upcoming Johor state election, but analysts say a strong showing there should not be misconstrued as a nationwide resurgence for the coalition.

Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said Johor, the birthplace of Umno, remains a BN stronghold to the present day, making it an unreliable gauge of national sentiment.

“BN won 40 out of 56 seats in the Johor polls in March 2022, but it did not achieve a similar ratio of seats nationally in the general election (GE15) that same year,” he told FMT.


Oh pointed to Sabah as an example of how state election results often reflected local issues rather than broader national perception.

Oh Ei Sun.

“DAP lost all its seats in Sabah last year, but that does not mean it will lose all its seats nationwide. Every state has its own electoral peculiarities.”


Despite its dominant performance in the 2022 Johor polls, BN won only nine of the 26 parliamentary seats in the southern state in GE15, compared to PH’s 14. The remaining three seats went to Perikatan Nasional (2) and Muda (1).

The Johor assembly was dissolved on June 1, paving the way for the 16th state election to be held within the next 60 days.

Multi-cornered clashes are widely anticipated, with BN and federal ally PH both set to go it alone, while opposition coalition PN will also vie for all 56 seats up for grabs.

Sivamurugan Pandian.


Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia said a BN win in the state polls may reflect voters’ approval of menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s performance, rather than indicate a revival of support for BN at the national level.


He also said Johor voters prioritised development, investment, jobs and governance — areas in which Onn Hafiz’s administration had largely excelled.

“A Johor victory would strengthen BN’s narrative, but it should not be interpreted as a direct prediction of national electoral trends.

“Umno is strongest where its historical roots remain intact,” he said, referring to the party’s founding in May 1946 by Onn Jaafar, Onn Hafiz’s great-grandfather.

Awang Azman Pawi.


Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said BN still has its work cut out in convincing voters beyond Johor that it has changed since its historic 2018 defeat, when the coalition lost power for the first time—even in its traditional stronghold of Johor.


He said voters know that BN has extensive experience in governing the country, both at federal and state level.

However, Awang Azman, said this did not necessarily mean the coalition had resolved the challenges it faces in other states. “Voters nationwide want to see if BN has changed from what it was in 2018. They still need to work hard to change their image.”

BN currently also leads the Perak and Pahang governments, but with the backing of PH assemblymen. It is also a part of the PH-led Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan governments.

In GE15, BN failed to win a single parliamentary seat in Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. It suffered a similar fate in the six state elections in August 2023, being wiped out of the Kedah and Terengganu state assemblies.

Communal politics, not economics, will continue to sway Malay voters

Communal politics, not economics, will continue to sway Malay voters


3 hours ago
Tajuddin Rasdi


Unless there is a shift in mindset, young urban Malays will likely still vote along racial and religious lines

I was surprised to learn recently that several politicians and social science academics were of the opinion that bread‑and‑butter issues will dictate how young, urban and educated Malays cast their ballots at the next elections.

If true, this would indeed represent a great stride forward for Malaysia. Unfortunately, I myself am not convinced.


While the country’s economic performance, employment figures, and the ringgit’s strength may be the subject of much discussion at present, they are unlikely to sway the voting behaviour of this group of voters for one simple reason: communal politics.

Voting along racial and religious lines has long been entrenched in this country.


Whether we like it or not, race and religion remain central to the political landscape, passed down from one generation to the next.

Unless there is a fundamental shift in mindset, the politics of sensationalism—such as on matters related to alcohol sales, pig farming, rock/pop concerts, or Christian evangelism—will continue to dominate conversations, and be inherited by younger voters.

Naturally, these young Malay voters would say otherwise when questioned by politicians or in responding to a survey. Asked directly, they are bound to cite economic issues as their top concern, so as not to reveal the deeper instincts that shape their choices.

A more accurate gauge of how young Malays will vote probably lies in the politicians they follow and the comments they leave on social media posts published by figures such as Bersama’s Rafizi Ramli, Umno’s Dr Akmal Saleh, and PAS’s Ahmad Fadhli Shaari.

It will also be interesting to see how these youths reacted to recent controversies–like the so-called “illegal temple” issue, or incidents involving the desecration of the Quran. Were they outraged? Did they incite violence? Did they invoke the spectre of May 13?

Another overlooked factor is educational background. Many young Malays attend religious schools—both private and government-run—where they are unlikely to have classmates of different ethnic or religious backgrounds.

My own seven grandchildren and grandnephews study in such schools. If I were to ask whether they have non-Malay friends, the answer would most likely be no.

Analysts who assume Malays will vote based on economic considerations have likely never flipped through the Pengajian Islam primary school textbooks.


If they did, they would realise that not a single chapter in these books discusses the other races, faiths, or cultural heritage. Neither is there any mention of Islam’s relationship with the fine arts. These topics are simply not taught.

Neither do these themes surface in Friday sermons at mosques up and down the country. Nothing is said either about the shared values across faiths or the atrocities committed by radical groups such as the Islamic State against non‑Muslims.

Only by factoring in religious upbringing and educational background can we understand how Malays will vote. To believe otherwise is to fool ourselves.

We certainly cannot rely on face-to-face interviews for reliable data about voting patterns.

The reality is that communal politics has been programmed into our DNA for decades. Its repercussions will continue to impact future generations.

We would be foolish to think otherwise.

Israeli attacks kill nine in Lebanon, reach Beirut outskirts

The attacks test a US-mediated deal to curb Israel-Hezbollah attacks, and new Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington.

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Lebanese soldiers and first reponders inspect the site of an Israeli drone strike near a vehicle on the Khaldeh highway at the southern entrance to Beirut, June 3 [AFP]

By Al Jazeera Staff

Published On 3 Jun 20263 Jun 2026

Israel has continued to wage fierce attacks across Lebanon, including near the capital, Beirut, killing nine people and injuring others, even as US-mediated talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials progress in Washington.

The Israeli attacks on Wednesday struck at least 10 vehicles, in one case directly targeting an ambulance, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, and in another occurring just several kilometres south of Beirut, the country’s state media reported.

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Among the victims of the Israeli strikes were two medics in the municipality of Chehour and another six people near the coastal city of Tyre, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

A Lebanese soldier was also killed while travelling on a road in the south, said the Lebanese army.

The attack in the Khaldeh area on the southern outskirts of Beirut injured two people, according to Lebanese security sources quoted by the Reuters news agency.

“What we’ve been seeing over the past hours has been an escalation,” said Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem from Beirut. “This is taking us back to square one.”

Also reporting from the Lebanese capital, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said the Israeli strike near Beirut was fueling concern that “there is no front line in this ongoing conflict.”

“Lebanon has been insisting that Israel abide by a full ceasefire, something the Israeli government is refusing to accept,” said Khodr.

Trump ‘perturbed’ by Netanyahu’s escalation

The attacks come several days after United States President Donald Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had committed to cancel any planned attacks on Beirut, though the Israeli leader’s office separately said Israel still reserved the right to strike Beirut if Hezbollah attacks continued.

***

Does Israel have nukes? ‘Most of the world assesses they do,’ says Rubio

At congressional hearting, the US secretary of state dodged question about Washington’s position on Israel’s nuclear programme.

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An armed Israeli Air Force F-15 war jet as seen from Ashdod in southern Israel May 20 [File: Amir Cohen/Reuters]

By Al Jazeera Staff

Published On 3 Jun 20263 Jun 2026

A Democratic lawmaker in the United States has grilled top diplomat Marco Rubio on whether Israel has nuclear weapons, but the secretary of state did not provide a clear answer.

“Most of the world assesses that they do,” Rubio told Congressman Joaquin Castro at a hearing on Wednesday, though he refused to share Washington’s own position on Israel’s nuclear weapons.

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He then suggested instead that the issue should be discussed in a private setting.

The exchange underscored a decades-long taboo in US politics against publicly talking about Israel’s nuclear programme.

Rubio acknowledged that refraining from discussing Israel’s nuclear weapons is a “feature” of US foreign policy.

But Castro pressed on, emphasising that answering the question is necessary at a time when the US is in a joint war with Israel against Iran.

“If they, in fact, possess nuclear weapons — and you’re right, in open-source reporting, that has come across — we don’t know what their red lines are for using those nuclear weapons,” Castro said.

“And so, I guess I’m shocked that our government wouldn’t make an effort to know, to understand and then to give our oversight body the information that we need to make decisions about the war.”

Rubio said the question was “fair”, and he would be willing to answer it in a classified format.

“These things require delicate balancing acts between different equities, but I think you can get, probably, a more fulsome answer if we were to be able to respond to that inquiry in a different context,” he said.

Israel, whose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crime charges in Gaza, is widely believed to possess a nuclear arsenal.

The US ally has been accused by leading rights groups and United Nations investigators of carrying out a genocide in Gaza. Yet it receives billions of dollars in military aid from Washington annually.

Israel is not a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

On February 28, the administration of US President Donald Trump joined Israel in attacking Iran with the stated objective of preventing the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon, which Tehran denies seeking.

Although Israel has never officially confirmed having nuclear weapons, some Israeli officials have floated deploying them.

In November 2023, for instance, the country’s Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu suggested that dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza was “an option”.

Several pro-Israel politicians in the US have also urged Israel to use nuclear weapons against Palestinians.

“We nuked the Japanese twice in order to get unconditional surrender. That needs to be the same here,” US Congressman Randy Fine, a Trump ally, said last year.

In May, Congress member Castro penned a letter to the US Department of State signed by 30 lawmakers seeking clarifications about Israel’s nuclear programme — and the US policy of not talking about it.

“We cannot develop coherent nonproliferation policy for the Middle East, including with respect to Iran’s civil nuclear program and Saudi Arabia’s civil nuclear ambitions, while maintaining a policy of official silence about the nuclear weapons capabilities of one party central to the ongoing conflict in which the United States is a direct participant,” the letter read.

‘Devoid of legal effect’: Negeri Sembilan DKU secretary rejects suspension amid royal crisis

‘Devoid of legal effect’: Negeri Sembilan DKU secretary rejects suspension amid royal crisis



DKU secretary Raja Norazli Raja Nordin has reportedly rejected his indefinite suspension by several Negeri Sembilan ruling chiefs, saying only the state ruler could instruct him otherwise. — Picture by Yusof Isa

Wednesday, 03 Jun 2026 6:37 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) secretary Raja Norazli Raja Nordin has reportedly rejected his indefinite suspension by several Negeri Sembilan ruling chiefs, saying the move had no legal effect.

According to The Star, Raja Norazli said in a letter dated today that he was appointed by Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir and remained bound to carry out the duties entrusted to him unless instructed otherwise by the state ruler.

“Such is the nature of my office. I am duty-bound to abide by and execute the duties and responsibilities entrusted to me until commanded otherwise by the state Ruler,” he was quoted as saying.

“Any action directed against me constitutes an affront intended to usurp the constitutional powers of the state ruler and is devoid of legal effect,” he reportedly added.

The letter was reportedly addressed to the Undang of Jelebu, Undang of Johol, Undang of Rembau, Tunku Besar Tampin, Datuk Shahbandar Sungei Ujong and Datuk Mubarak Dohak.

The six had on May 29 announced the purported indefinite suspension of Raja Norazli, accusing him of failing to convene a special DKU meeting to discuss the state’s ongoing royal and adat crisis.

They claimed the meeting had the support of six of the DKU’s eight members and said an interim committee would carry out the secretary’s duties.


Raja Norazli, however, said the DKU could not be properly constituted without Tuanku Muhriz, who was not present at the May 29 meeting, and that any meeting called contrary to established procedures would be unconstitutional and void.

He reportedly also said he could not convene the meeting because the six had earlier filed an originating summons against him, the DKU and the state government, and that holding such a meeting could affect ongoing court proceedings.

The DKU is the highest body governing matters related to Negeri Sembilan’s ruling chiefs.

The dispute is linked to the removal of Mubarak as Undang of Sungei Ujong, which was officially announced after a DKU special sitting on April 17 but took effect from May 13 last year.

Mubarak has since challenged his removal.

The crisis widened after Mubarak and several ruling chiefs announced the removal of Tuanku Muhriz as Yang di-Pertuan Besar, a move rejected by the state government.

The dispute now involves overlapping questions over the ruling chiefs’ authority, the role of the state ruler, DKU procedure and pending court action.

Penang council cracks down on burger stall over halal stickers that sparked segregation claims

Penang council cracks down on burger stall over halal stickers that sparked segregation claims



The Penang Island City Council is investigating a burger stall in Jalan Terengganu for attempted customer segregation along religious lines. — Picture by Choo Choy May

Thursday, 04 Jun 2026 9:04 AM MYT


GEORGE TOWN, June 4 — The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has issued a warning to the operator of a burger stall at a food court in Jalan Terengganu here for displaying unapproved halal logo stickers on dining tables, which could spark racial sensitivities.

MBPP, in a statement last night, said the action was taken following an investigation into claims circulating on social media that Muslim and non-Muslim customers were segregated at a food outlet in the area.

“MBPP wishes to stress that no such action or practice should have been in place at any food premises, public market or food complex under its supervision and management.

“Such a practice was not contained in any official MBPP policy,” the statement said.

MBPP said investigations found that a new burger stall operating within a food shop had attached halal logos to three tables to prevent their use by customers consuming non-halal food.

“The owner of the premises has complied with the instructions and immediately removed all the stickers,” according to the statement. — Bernama

***

Now wait for the shrill raves and rants

OPINION | The Non-Malays Won GE15 — And It Turned Out To Be The Worst Victory The World Has Ever Seen

Malaysia's #1 Content Aggregator


OPINION | The Non-Malays Won GE15 — And It Turned Out To Be The Worst Victory The World Has Ever Seen


3 Jun 2026 • 3:00 PM MYT

TheRealNehruism
An award-winning Newswav creator, Bebas News columnist & ex-FMT columnist

Image credit: CNN

Everyone in this country — Malays and non-Malays alike — came away from GE15 believing that it was the non-Malays who had won the election.


Why?


Because it was the non-Malays who stood almost en masse behind Pakatan Harapan.


After a nail-biting election, PH emerged as the largest coalition and eventually formed the government. Naturally, non-Malays assumed that they were the victors of GE15.



It was not only the non-Malays who thought so. The Malays believed it too.


It was precisely because many Malays believed that the non-Malays had “won” GE15 that the Malays formed the “green wave” after GE 15, to turn things around.


So naturally, after GE15, non-Malays assumed that the government formed by the coalition they overwhelmingly backed would be more favourable towards them.



After all, that is what victory means, isn't it?


If you win, you expect that you will be better off after your victory than before your victory.


But boy were the non-Malays wrong.


Four years after their supposed “victory”, many non-Malays have come to a shocking realization: they have come to realise their victory in GE 15 was so catastrophic, that if they win again in GE 16 , they will surely be doomed.


Why?


Because under the government they helped bring to power, many non-Malays now feel they are worse off than they were under previous governments backed by the Malays.



Why?


Because no prime minister under the previous Malay-backed government ever publicly referred to Indians using the K-word.


Under the previous government, Hindu temples were not facing the kinds of threats they are facing today.


Old Chinese uncles did not have to fear arrest for accidentally flying the Jalur Gemilang upside down for a few minutes under the previous government.


Yes, the previous government would probably never have recognised the UEC either — but at least it did not make Bahasa Malaysia and History compulsory subjects in vernacular schools either.



The previous government also did not shut down pig farming in Selangor.


It also did not attempt to prevent non-Islamic houses of worship from being built in commercial areas.


And under the previous government, buyers of GLC and GLIC properties worth RM20 million and above only needed 30 percent Bumiputera equity participation — not 50 percent.


The previous government might might have been formed primarily by the Malays, but they were better to the non-Malays than the PH goverment that the non-Malays themselves had primarily formed after GE 15.



If the PH goverment that was formed after GE 15 is a friend to the non-Malays, then with a friend like the PH goverment, who needs enemies ?


It is hard to know what exactly the non-Malays did to anger the gods.


But anger the gods they must have — because they have been cursed with a victory that is worse than a defeat.


And considering how badly this “victory” has turned out for non-Malays, it is difficult to see how PH can go back to non-Malays in GE16 and ask for the same level of support again.


Because if PH tells the non-Malays, “Help us win again,” many non-Malays may very well respond:



“Are you kidding?


We are already half dead because we helped you win in GE15.


If we help you win again in GE16, we will be completely finished.”

Putin Hits Drone Factory and Other Sites Outside Kiev in Response to Ukraine’s Unhinged Aggression

 

Putin Hits Drone Factory and Other Sites Outside Kiev in Response to Ukraine’s Unhinged Aggression

On May 22, 2026, a Ukrainian drone struck a college dormitory in Starobelsk in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic late at night while students were asleep. The attack reportedly killed 21 people, mostly teenage girls, and injured 70 others.

Russia has responded with a large-scale overnight missile and drone strike using precision weapons, including hypersonic missiles, targeting Ukrainian military airfields, defense industry facilities, fuel and transport infrastructure, and a drone production plant linked to President Zelensky across regions including Kyiv, Zaporozhye, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, and Sumy.

Russian Defense Ministry officials stated that all designated targets were hit and described the operation as a response to “terrorist attacks” by Kiev, with President Putin calling it a new chapter in Ukraine’s “crime spree” that would bring “well-deserved and inevitable punishment.”

In a separate incident on Saturday, a fiber-optic-guided drone struck the machine hall of the sixth power unit at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, puncturing a hole in the building.

Rosatom, which operates the plant under Russian control since 2022, described it as Kiev’s first deliberate attack on the facility’s main equipment and warned that any explosion or fire could cut power and water supplies, creating conditions for a nuclear incident.

Rosatom CEO Aleksey Likhachev stated that radiation from such an event would primarily endanger Ukraine and neighboring EU countries.

Ukrainian authorities denied involvement.

GhostofBasedPatrickHenry: My favorite part of the story is this:

A drone film scouting company linked to Zelensky’s friends became Ukraine’s “miracle” factory that produced all of their long range drones.

How many other film production companies in Ukraine do you think were repurposed for the war effort?

Strange.

These strikes from Russia came in response to Ukrainian aggression; particularly the attacks against the nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia—the largest one in all of Europe.

It’s become clear that Ukrainian leadership is growing increasingly unhinged. Just look at that story about Ukraine “accidentally” arming a drone with weapons and flying it toward military targets.

You will recall that sometime over the last week, a drone struck Romania—which is west of Ukraine—and the MSM reported that the drone was Russian. Putin and the lads denied this, of course.

In fact, Putin went public and not only denied it, but suggested that it was likely the West or Ukraine who committed the false flag against Russia.

Accidentally flying a heavily armed drone into Finland.

Attacking the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.

Bombing the hell out of Lebanon.

The thugs in Kiev have grown increasingly bold in their attempt to commit false flag operations.

Accelerate.

Russian Strikes Take Out German and British Combatants: Latin American Mercenaries Reinforce Frontline

Military Watch:

Russian Strikes Take Out German and British Combatants: Latin American Mercenaries Reinforce Frontlines

Eastern Europe and Central Asia , Ground

Military Watch Magazine Editorial Staff

June-3rd-2026

---

Colombian Mercenary in Ukraine (left) and Russian Iskander-M Missile Launch

A source in the Russian security forces has reported that a group of defence contractors from Germany and the United Kingdom fighting for the Ukrainian Army has been eliminated in a forest belt on the frontlines in the Zaporozhye Region. The source added that documents found on these personnel after their deaths confirmed their identities, with Russian state media publishing the names and dates of births of some of the deceased. Some of those killed were soldiers from the 113th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade of Ukraine and a separate special forces battalion, which were all assigned to the 3rd Assault Battalion of the Skala Regiment. Reports from both sides of the conflict, and from multiple Western sources, have highlighted the significant and growing roles played by foreign contractor personnel in frontline operations. 

Georgian Legion Personnel in Ukraine: The Contractor Group is Largely Made Up of Personnel of British Origin

Coinciding with reports of the elimination of German and British contractors in Zaporozhye, the deputy head of the Kharkov region’s military-civilian administration for defence and security Yevgeny Lisnyak reported that approximately 400 contractor personnel from Latin American countries were deployed to the region, and had been hired to compensate for severe personnel shortages in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. "[As regards] the use of Latin American mercenaries: since February 2026, the presence of mercenaries from Colombia and other Latin American countries has been recorded in the Kharkov sector of the line of engagement. Approximately two tactical groups, roughly 400-troops-strong. Even as they were hired to compensate for the shortage of Ukrainian assault troops, their combat efficiency has been lower than expected,” the official reported.

Colombian Mercenaries Operating in the Ukrainian Theatre

Foreign fighters have consistently been prioritised for targeting by Russian forces, with a notable example being a strike on the headquarters of a group of predominantly French European contractors in January 2024, causing at least 80 casualties, 60 or more of which were deaths. These personnel were “highly trained specialists who work on specific weapons systems too complex for the average Ukrainian conscripts,” according to Russian state media reports, with their neutralisation having “put some of the most lethal and long-range weapons in the Ukrainian arsenal out of service until more specialists are found” to replace them. While contractor personnel from more developed countries have been relied on to operate complex equipment and provide training and targeting, logistical or other kinds of support, those from less developed countries such as Poland, Brazil and Colombia have been deployed in greater numbers for frontline combat duties. 

Polish Volunteer Corps Personnel in Ukraine - One of Multiple NATO Units Operating on the Ground Against Russian Forces

This singling out for foreign fighters has remained a consistent aspect of the Russian war effort, with a more recent strike on a training camp near the central Ukrainian city of Kropivnitsky on July 21, 2025, having been confirmed to have caused over 100 casualties among foreign fighters. In December 2025 former officer in the Ukrainian Security Service Vasily Prozorov reported that an estimated 10,000 foreign contractor personnel had been killed in action since the outbreak of full scale hostilities in February 2022. As a leading contributor of personnel, the Polish government has recently moved to provide legal cover to the operations of its forces in the war, where they have been deployed for combat on internationally recognised Ukrainian territory, in disputed regions, and on internationally recognised Russian soil during multiple incursions.