Putin's remarks, made during a visit to the Kursk Region on Wednesday, highlight growing concerns about the involvement of foreign fighters in both Ukraine and other conflict zones, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Speaking at a meeting with the Russian General Staff and military commanders, Putin declared that any Ukrainian soldier or foreign mercenary captured on Russian territory could be "treated as a terrorist under Russian law."
He stressed that those who commit crimes against civilians or engage in combat against Russian forces would be prosecuted accordingly.
"All people who commit crimes against the civilian population on the territory of the Kursk Region, confront our Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies, and special services, are terrorists in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation," Putin stated.
"This is how the Russian Prosecutor General's Office and the Investigative Committee qualify their actions."
While affirming that Russia would treat prisoners of war (POWs) humanely, Putin reiterated that foreign mercenaries are not entitled to the legal protections guaranteed under the 1949 Geneva Convention on POWs.
According to Article 47 of Additional Protocol I of the convention, mercenaries are explicitly excluded from being classified as regular combatants, meaning they do not benefit from legal safeguards such as protection from prosecution for participating in hostilities unless they have committed war crimes.
The Russian authorities have taken a hard stance on foreign fighters. In January, a Russian court sentenced retired US Army Ranger Patrick Creed to 13 years in prison for serving with Ukrainian forces from 2022 to 2023. In March, British citizen James Scott Rhys Anderson was sentenced to 19 years in prison for crimes against civilians in the Kursk Region.
Putin's comments come as concerns grow over the role of foreign mercenaries in other global conflicts, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In January 2025, more than 280 mercenaries from the RALF groupâ€"a Romanian-based private military companyâ€"were evacuated from eastern Congo after suffering a significant defeat to the M23 rebel group.
The mercenaries had been fighting alongside the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) since 2022. Their mission ended in failure when M23 fighters captured the strategic city of Goma on January 27, forcing the mercenaries to surrender to MONUSCO peacekeepers. On January 29, the fighters were granted safe passage through Rwanda to return home.
The presence of foreign military contractors in the DRC has drawn international attention, with critics arguing that their involvement escalates the conflict and complicates diplomatic efforts. Russia has previously expressed concerns about the increasing reliance on private military groups in conflict zones and views their presence as a destabilizing factor.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
