Russia recruits Latin Americans / Recruits say financial promises sent them to the front in Ukraine

Russia is expanding its recruitment of foreign soldiers in Latin America, while testimonies from recruits and their families show that promises of large earnings have, in some cases, resulted in them being sent to the front in Ukraine. A Politico report focuses in particular on the situation of Peruvians recruited by Moscow.

Peru’s Foreign Ministry says that 459 Peruvians are fighting for Russia, 11 of whom have died and 114 are missing. Families, however, say the real number is higher and accuse recruitment intermediaries of deception and human trafficking.

Carlos Lenski Davila Vela, a 36-year-old Peruvian, says he met approximately 80 Latin Americans at training camps and that nearly all of them are now dead or missing. Recruited in May, he says he was sent to an assault unit even though he believed he would operate drones, and was wounded in Ukraine. He later escaped from a Russian hospital and reached the Peruvian Embassy in Moscow.

According to Ukrainian authorities, approximately 29,000 foreigners are fighting in the ranks of the Russian army. Peru, Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, Ecuador and Argentina are among the countries targeted by recruitment networks. Recruits describe contracts presented as job opportunities, the confiscation of documents and insufficient equipment, while families are calling for the authorities to intervene.