[1][4] Anxious to expand its influence to the Greek mainland, Russia signed alliances with Himariot and Cham Albanian beys on 27 June.

Souliote refugees were mobilized for an offensive, which was cut short when Ali Pasha learned of the Russian plans and an Ottoman naval squadron made an unexpected appearance off Corfu.

The sole request of the Greeks was to be allowed to serve in their traditional uniforms and use their accustomed military tactics of irregular warfare, rather than be dragooned into Western-style regular units.

[8] The new corps was named Light Jäger Foot Legion (Greek: Πεζική Λεγεών Ελαφρών Κυνηγετών), 2,760 strong and divided into six regionally homogenous brigades of four hekatontarchies each.

Each brigade had its own flag with a distinctive color, and featuring a cross with a crowned eagle in a laurel wreath in the center and the mottoes, taken from Isaiah 8:9–10, "God is with us" (ὁ Θεός μεθ' ἡμῶν) and "Huddle together, o nations, and be shattered" (γνῶτε ἔθνη καὶ ἡττᾶσθε).

The legionaries wore their traditional dress, and took an oath to "serve the mighty Emperor of all the Russias and march against every enemy that the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Armies should command them to".

[12][13] During the unsuccessful Russian siege of Ragusa, the Legion confronted another Greek unit (augmented with Albanians and Slavs) in French service, the Chasseurs d'Orient under Nikolaos Papazoglou.

[14] The legion's participation in the Dalmatian operations has been disputed by some historians including Francis Carter and Foivos Oikonomou, since no mention of it has been made in Russian primary sources.

On 22 March, the detachment stationed on Lefkada took part in a raid on Agia Mavra opposite the island; where Ali Pasha had massed troops, assisted by French artillery under Papazoglou.

The majority of the legionnaires received recommendation letters from the Russian army and were recruited into the French Albanian Regiment under the condition of never fighting against Russia.