Russian politician brags about ‘American volunteers who want to fight for Putin’

A Russian political official has bragged that there are volunteers from the United States who want to fight for Vladimir Putin in the ongoing war with Ukraine.

Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-installed official, spoke about individuals from Western countries and claimed many want to support the Kremlin’s cause.

Speaking to Russian news agency TASS, Rogov said there were thousands from former Soviet nations, Mideastern and Latin American who were willing to take to the battlefield to support Putin's illegal war in the country.

"These are not only [people from] former Soviet republics, but there are citizens of the developed world - the United States, Great Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Middle Eastern and Latin American countries, including Brazil and Argentina," he said.

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Rogov is the chairman of the We Are Together with Russia, which operates in the occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

According to Rogov, many of the volunteers have experience in combat and carry weapon licences.

The illegal invasion of Ukraine began almost 12 months ago on February 24Grigory Sysoyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

"Their motivation is quite strong, they would like to preserve traditional society and help Russia, they want to battle Nazism," Rogov said.

Putin has previously called on supporters around the world to join the Russian cause.

"If you see that there are people who want on a voluntary basis [to help the separatists in eastern Ukraine], then you need to meet them halfway and help them move to combat zones," Putin said during a meeting in March last year.

It comes as Putin unleashed a new wave of missile strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine on Friday, causing explosions in Kyiv and Kharviv, as well as several cities across the country.

At least 17 missiles hit Zaporizhzhia in an hour in the heaviest attack on the southeastern city since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, local officials said.

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