Amnesty International accuses Russia of human trafficking by tricking foreigners into fighting in Ukraine war

A new report by Amnesty International has accused Russia of tricking foreigners into fighting on Ukraine’s front lines in what amounts to “human trafficking”.

Victims from Brazil, Colombia, Sri Lanka and South Africa were duped into travelling to Russia to take up well-paid civilian or non-combat jobs, then forced to join the Russian army on arrival, according to the report released on Thursday.

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Russian recruiters also targeted migrants and refugees in Russia and coerced them into joining the military, the report said.

“Amnesty’s research demonstrates how Russia’s Armed Forces are bolstering their ranks with economically vulnerable foreign nationals and using them as cannon fodder in the war of aggression against Ukraine,” said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s secretary general.

“The level of exploitation and coercion involved led us to conclude that in many cases this amounts to human trafficking, as defined under the [United Nations] Palermo Protocol,” Callamard added.

Fraud and deception

Amnesty International interviewed prisoners of war at two Ukrainian camps between 2024 and 2026.

The rights group also spoke with foreign nationals currently serving with Russian forces and members of their families as well as lawyers, human rights activists and journalists.

It found local agents and misleading online job advertisements were used to deceive foreign nationals in their home countries.

A South African man who applied online for a driving job in Poland was told to fly to Moscow to pick up a truck and drive it to Poland. His wife told Amnesty International: “Upon arrival to Moscow, everything was taken from him. He was told that he would not be going to Poland and that he is becoming a soldier.”

Many recruits were promised lucrative salaries and sign-up bonuses that were not fulfilled.

All the interviewees said their freedom of movement was severely restricted after signing military contracts.

During training, recruits from Brazil and Sri Lanka said their passports and mobile phones were taken from them before being sent to the front line.

Cannon fodder

Both Russia and Ukraine have recruited thousands of foreign nationals into their armies since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine four-and-a-half years ago.

Amnesty says it cannot conduct inquiries about foreigners in Ukraine’s army as it has no access to prisoners of war held in Russia, which designates Amnesty as a “foreign agent”.

An estimated 28,000 foreigners from 136 countries are said to be fighting in the Russian army and officials believe Russia deployed some 14,000 North Korean troops to battle Ukraine’s 2024 incursion into the Kursk region.

Meanwhile, Ukraine says 16,000 foreign nationals from more than 70 countries – including nearly 40 percent from Latin America – are currently serving in the Ukrainian army.

Russia has previously dismissed accusations of coercing foreigners into joining its army.