Amnesty accuses Russia of deceptively recruiting foreign nationals for the war in Ukraine under the pretext of civilian jobs

A report by Amnesty International claims that Russia uses deceptive, coercive, and exploitative practices to recruit citizens from low-income countries such as Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone, and Somalia. Some were allegedly lured with promises of civilian or noncombatant jobs, while others were forced to enlist when their residence permits expired.

Testimonies from prisoners of war indicate that the recruits were sent to the front lines quickly, after short periods of training. Amnesty cites the case of a Brazilian man lured by a purported IT job and that of a Sri Lankan citizen. Ukraine estimates that Russia has recruited at least 27,000 foreigners from 135 countries since 2022.