Italian far-right foreign fighters in the Ukrainian war. The long chain of Transnational Recruitment Network (TRN)

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigates the phenomenon of far-right foreign fighters engaged on the Ukrainian war alongside pro-Russian separatists. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the phenomenon, albeit limited, also affected Italy. This article aims to map the ties and to analyze the interactions between the various actors involved in the distribution of the call to arms, from recruitment to the reception of foreign fighters in the host country. The article is divided in two parts. First, the aspects relating to the conceptualization of the phenomenon and the motivations underlying the choices to become a foreign fighter will be analyzed. Radicalization processes and their interpretations will also be explored. The second part presents the empirical analysis of Italian far-right foreign fighters operating in the Donbass area. This research uncovered a complex Transnational Recruitment Network (TRN) enabling Italian far-right activists to reach the Ukrainian theater of war. The study findings show that the links between the network nodes of far-right organizations are relevant factors for the activation and radicalization of foreign fighters.