On both sides of the war in Ukraine, foreign fighters have flocked in their thousands to take part, many of them from the former Soviet Union.
Whilst thousands of regular Russian soldiers and volunteers have fought alongside the DNR and LNR separatists, a number of Russians and Belorussians have also fought for the Ukrainians.
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With the worst of the fighting in the east now over, Ukrainian forces have been able to draft enough soldiers to hold the front lines, and the immediate need for these irregular fighters has largely gone.
But despite their service and sacrifice those volunteers from Russia and Belarus face prison time if they return home, and many are now battling for citizenship in Ukraine.
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