Amnesty says Russia lured vulnerable foreigners into fighting in Ukraine

Amnesty International has accused Russia of deceiving foreign nationals with fake job offers and pushing them into military contracts to fight in Ukraine. The rights group said the practice amounts to trafficking and said it had interviewed prisoners of war who described being misled before ending up at the front. The allegations were published on Thursday and focus on recruits from poorer countries who were promised civilian work.

Sponsored

According to the report, the average targeted recruit is under 40 and is often living in a lower-income country when approached. Amnesty said some victims were lured to Russia through advertisements for jobs and then made to join the army after arrival. The group said the people it identified included citizens of Brazil, Colombia, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

Amnesty's secretary-general, Agnes Callamard, said the suffering linked to the internationalisation of the war is affecting highly vulnerable communities around the world. The report adds to concerns about the use of foreign nationals in the war, which has drawn in fighters from multiple countries since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Amnesty said it could not conduct inquiries among people held in Russia because of its status there as a foreign agent.

It also said that some Russian state workers who know the recruits are victims of trafficking should be held accountable. Russia did not immediately comment on the allegations. The findings matter because they point to a wider pattern of wartime exploitation that goes beyond the battlefield.

Sponsored

If confirmed, the alleged recruitment methods would raise questions about trafficking, coercion and the treatment of foreign workers in Russia. They also highlight how the war in Ukraine continues to affect people far from the front line, particularly in countries where job seekers may be vulnerable to false promises. The report comes after earlier reporting had already described similar tactics, including claims that Moscow used promises of well-paid civilian work to attract Kenyans to the front.

Amnesty said the issue is part of the broader internationalisation of the war, in which both Moscow and Kyiv have recruited foreign nationals. Ukraine has previously said that more than 28,000 foreigners from 136 countries were fighting in the Russian army, while officials have also said Russia deployed about 14,000 North Korean troops to the Kursk region after Ukraine's 2024 incursion there. What remains unclear is how many foreign nationals may have been recruited through deception, how many are still serving under such contracts, and whether any investigations will follow the report.

It is also not clear whether Russian authorities will respond publicly to the allegations or whether the cases identified by Amnesty will be examined by any international body. The next developments to watch are any official reaction from Moscow, further corroboration of the recruitment methods, and whether the report prompts action in the countries named.

#Russia #Ukrainewar #AmnestyInternational #foreignrecruitment #trafficking

Sponsored