Amnesty Accuses Russia Of Human Trafficking Foreigners Into War

A new report by Amnesty International charges Russia with tricking foreigners into fighting on Ukraine's front lines, a practice it calls human trafficking. Victims hail from Brazil, Colombia, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. They were duped into traveling to Russia under the promise of well-paid civilian or non-combat roles. Upon arrival, however, they faced forced conscription into the Russian army. The findings were released on Thursday.

Recruiters also targeted migrants and refugees already inside Russia, coercing them to join the military forces. Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International's secretary general, stated that their research shows how Russia bolsters its ranks with economically vulnerable foreign nationals. She added that these people are used as cannon fodder in an aggressive war against Ukraine.

"The level of exploitation and coercion involved led us to conclude that in many cases this amounts to human trafficking," Callamard said. "We refer to the definition under the United Nations Palermo Protocol." The rights group interviewed prisoners of war at two Ukrainian camps between 2024 and 2026. They also spoke with foreign nationals currently serving, their families, lawyers, activists, and journalists.

Local agents and misleading online job advertisements deceived these individuals in their home countries. One South African man applied for a driving job in Poland but was told to fly to Moscow first to pick up a truck. His wife told Amnesty International that upon arrival everything was taken from him. He never went to Poland because he became a soldier instead. Many recruits were promised lucrative salaries and sign-up bonuses that were not fulfilled.

All interviewees said their freedom of movement was severely restricted after signing military contracts. During training, recruits from Brazil and Sri Lanka reported having their passports and mobile phones taken away before being sent to the front line. Both Russia and Ukraine have recruited thousands of foreign nationals since the invasion began four-and-a-half years ago. Amnesty cannot fully investigate foreigners in Ukraine's army because it lacks access to prisoners held in Russia, which designates them as a foreign agent.

Officials estimate 28,000 foreigners from 136 countries are fighting in the Russian army. Some 14,000 North Korean troops were deployed for the 2024 incursion into the Kursk region. Meanwhile, Ukraine says 16,000 foreign nationals from more than 70 countries serve in its ranks, including nearly 40 percent from Latin America. Russia has previously dismissed accusations of coercing foreigners into joining its army.