Amnesty International accused Russia of human trafficking, deception, and coercion to enlist foreign nationals for military operations in Ukraine. According to reports published on September 10, 2026, thousands of citizens from the Global South and Latin America face false civilian job offers before being forced into frontline combat.
Russian military authorities are actively targeting vulnerable migrants and foreign nationals through systematic deception, financial coercion, and false employment promises, according to an investigative special report released by Amnesty International. The organization states that the degree of coercion and exploitation documented during investigations warrants classifying these recruitment operations as human trafficking under the United Nations Palermo Protocol.
Interviews With Prisoners of War in Ukraine Reveal Coercion Methods
Investigators conducted interviews between 2024 and 2026 inside prisoner-of-war camps in western Ukraine with authorization from local authorities. Nearly all non-Ukrainian detainees from third countries detailed severe abuses during their recruitment into Russian armed forces. Victims described signing contracts without informed consent, passport confiscation, restricted freedom of movement, inadequate military training, and direct threats of violence for attempting to leave service.
The armed forces have reinforced their ranks with foreign individuals in situations of economic vulnerability and used them as cannon fodder in the war of aggression against Ukraine. Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International
The documented cases involve citizens originating from countries including Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.
False Civil Job Offers and Transnational Recruitment Networks
Recruitment outside Russia relies heavily on manipulation. Other victims receive false promises of legal entry into the European Union through Russia as a transit country.
- Evans Kibet: A Kenyan runner traveled to Russia for a sports competition, was offered civil employment, had his documents confiscated after signing a contract, and was subsequently deployed to the front lines in the Kharkiv region before surrendering in July 2025.
- Pedro: A 22-year-old Brazilian recruited in Australia under the impression he secured an IT job was transferred to Russia’s Avangard centers, stripped of his phone and passport, and threatened with death or imprisonment when he tried to leave.
- Jorge: A 23-year-old Colombian who responded to an online job advertisement in 2025 traveled to Ufa in Bashkortostán for civil work, only to receive an assault rifle and military uniform at a designated training ground.
- Enrique: An 18-year-old Cuban construction worker in Russia accepted a military contract promising fast-track Russian citizenship, completed twenty days of training in Luhansk, and was captured on September 1, 2026.
Military Personnel Pressures and Regional Impacts
To bypass internal political costs associated with domestic mobilization, Moscow has expanded recruitment incentives.
Domestic conscription practices mirror these foreign vulnerabilities.
Government responses vary internationally. The Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged that at least 459 Peruvian citizens were recruited under false pretenses, resulting in 11 deaths, 114 disappearances, and three prisoners held in Ukraine, while the ministry facilitated the repatriation of 27 citizens.
Demands for Immediate Cession and International Accountability
Amnesty International has called on Russian authorities to immediately halt all forced recruitment practices. The organization also urged countries of origin to issue public warnings regarding fraudulent employment offers in Russia, investigate intermediary agencies, and enhance international cooperation to ensure accountability for transnational trafficking networks.
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