Fightforua.org, the official website for international soldiers willing to fight for Ukraine, has launched but excludes Africans from registering online.

The website requires volunteers to hold a nationality other than Ukraine or Russia.

“IF YOUR CITIZENSHIP IS OTHER THAN UKRAINIAN, BUT YOU ARE STANDING WITH UKRAINE AGAINST THE RUSSIAN INVASION; IF YOU WANT ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN FIGHTING FOR EUROPEAN FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY; IF YOU HAVE COMBAT EXPERIENCE, OR WANT TO GAIN IT STANDING WITH BRAVE UKRAINIAN DEFENDERS…”, the criteria on the website state.

However, a list of countries from which volunteers can join the International Legion of Defence omits all African countries. Countries from every other continent are included, but African nations were conspicuously left out.

China and some other nations that have maintained neutrality in the conflict have contact information included on fightforua.org. No set of criteria have been listed on the available countries.

Other nations excluded from the list of countries with contact information for volunteers in the Ukrainian International Legion of Defense include North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines.

Ukraine has been defending its cities from violent attacks of the Russian army and air force since the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved the establishment of the International Legion of Defense a few days after the Russian nvasion to bolster the ranks of the Ukrainian military forces.