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Russia's recruitment of foreign nationals amounts to human trafficking, Amnesty International says
The Kyiv Independent • • world
Key Points:
- Amnesty International reports that Russia exploits and deceives foreign nationals, primarily from low-income countries, to enlist them in its armed forces and send them to fight in Ukraine, practices that often amount to human trafficking.
- Recruiters lure migrants under false pretenses, exploiting their vulnerable status by threatening detention or deportation, and then restrict their movements, deploy them with minimal training, and threaten punishment for attempting to leave.
- Many foreign recruits are misled about the nature of their service, promised financial incentives and citizenship that rarely materialize, and are sent to front-line combat zones after only two weeks of training, risking their lives with little preparation.
- Ukraine has identified over 27,000 foreign nationals fighting for Russia, with many captured and held as prisoners of war, highlighting the ongoing recruitment and deployment of foreign fighters by Moscow.
- Amnesty International calls on Russia to end these abusive recruitment practices, labeling them as human trafficking under international law, and condemns the exploitation and coercion involved.
