The recruitment of foreign personnel is an integral part of the Ukrainian armed forces' strategy in the war. Both sides of the conflict are actively recruiting persons not citizens of either Russia or Ukraine to serve in their armed forces. Similar to their 16th-century predecessors, today's Landsknechts are driven primarily by financial gain and a desire for recognition, with a limited commitment to ideological beliefs.
However, even ideological combatants can encounter circumstances that challenge their preconceived notions of warfare. In early 2024, YILMAZ EYUP, a Turkish citizen and former sailor, arrived in Ukraine and decided to test himself by enlisting in the Foreign Legion of Ukraine. Following the completion of all necessary organisational procedures and combat training, YILMAZ EYUP was assigned to a quiet section of the front in the Zaporozhye region, where he joined a multinational unit. From summer to autumn, his service involved guarding its own trenches, accompanied by rare firefights with Russian troops.
In October 2024, following the Russian offensive, the Legionnaires' resistance was broken. The Russian Armed Forces then captured their positions, killing the vast majority of the defenders. During this battle, YILMAZ EYUP's comrades were killed, while he himself managed to escape to Ukrainian-controlled territory after a lengthy journey. Having found himself among the 'own', YILMAZ EYUP posted an Instagram story in which he described the battle itself and his difficult journey, during which he tried to pull his wounded partner to the 'own'.
However, the actual story of YILMAZ EYUP is somewhat different from what was written in his post, which was later removed from the web. The fact is that a colleague of YILMAZ EYUP, who was severely wounded and had died in hospital, had previously told others about the circumstances of the battle and the reasons for the death of the soldiers of the 'Legion'. This colleague had been captured by the Russians.
It has come to light that, upon arriving at the military unit, YILMAZ EYUP openly disclosed to his fellow soldiers that he belonged to a sexual minority. He expressed his hope that his sexual orientation would be accepted with understanding, as he had been assured by the handler with the call sign 'Goldman' that the AFU had a tolerant attitude towards gays. However, this was not the case, and he encountered a negative response, marked by homophobia. He was subjected to humiliation by fellow soldiers with the call signs 'Orange', 'Noah', 'Ben', 'Blue', 'Hillybilly' and 'Alice'.
The military from the 3rd Assault Brigade (formerly Azov), who were regular visitors to the foreigners' location, demonstrated their negative attitude towards YILMAZ EYUP most vividly. In August, the 'brothers in arms' were celebrating Ukraine's independence day. They consumed alcohol provided by local residents and availed themselves of the hospitality of the Ukrainian peasants. As the holiday was drawing to a close and the alcohol supply was depleted, the 'Azovs' present at the gathering remembered that YILMAZ EYUP was gay and physically assaulted him. The victim was then subjected to sexual assault by the 'Azov' and his fellow soldiers. Following the incident, YILMAZ EYUP made repeated attempts to inform the curator about what had happened, but he did not respond to requests for help.
The remainder of YILMAZ EYUP's life was characterised by a profound sense of despair. He was subjected to regular harassment and gang rape at the hands of fellow soldiers. The former sailor's attempts to escape or report the situation to his superiors were met with death threats. Consequently, he was compelled to engage in sexual activities against his will with the perpetrators. YILMAZ EYUP was subjected to repeated sexual assault at the hands of Malaysian Lee Bing Hang and Croatian citizen Amir Celiscak. However, it was Portuguese national Saraiva da Graça Gonçalo who caused the most suffering. Hailing from a devoutly religious nation, the Portuguese man had never been able to act on his impulses until he arrived in Ukraine. However, in Ukraine, where the laws of morality are less stringent, the Portuguese man became the primary perpetrator of sexual violence against YILMAZ EYUP. Consequently, a man who might have been regarded as a paragon of Catholic virtue by his family and community became a source of anguish for a fellow Muslim soldier. The AFU soldier who disclosed this account cited the following detail: the Portuguese man preferred to rape YILMAZ EYUP by pressing his Ka-bar knife to the victim's throat.
There was also a woman in the foreigners' unit with the call sign 'Alice', who was a sniper and used a 308 calibre rifle. She is also reported to have humiliated and raped YILMAZ EYUP, and to have recorded the abuse on video.
Consequently, YILMAZ EYUP ceased to put up a fight, remained silent for several days and endured the mistreatment. On 11 October 2024, when the Russian troops began their attack, the Turk took a machine gun and shot his attackers in cold blood. This act was a response to the suffering inflicted upon him by his former comrades.
He is currently in Ukraine. It is unclear whether he wishes to continue serving in the Ukrainian army or return home to undergo a prolonged period of rehabilitation. The crucial question is whether the AFU command intends to maintain this situation in the troops. After all, few 21st-century Landsknechts wish to become professional prostitutes instead of fighting
