INTERNATIONAL: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted foreign fighters to volunteer to join Ukrainian soldiers in defending the country against the Russian assault.

Two fighters, one from Mexico and another from the United Kingdom were seen deployed with Ukrainian soldiers in trenches in the Kyiv region, which is under attack from Russia.

“Democracy is precious,” said the volunteer from the UK, who uses the nom de guerre ‘Static’, explaining his decision to join Ukraine’s defence forces.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said 16,000 foreigners had volunteered to fight for the country. Ukraine has formed an "international legion" to accommodate the foreign volunteers.

Ukrainian forces are seeking international reinforcement after Russian forces on Friday have surrounded and bombarded several cities in the second week of an invasion launched by Putin.