Foreign recruits: Amnesty says foreigners coerced into Russia’s army

What's happened

Amnesty International has found that migrants from Brazil, Colombia, Sri Lanka and South Africa were lured by fake civilian jobs to Russia and then conscripted into the Russian army. The group says coercion, passport seizure and false promises amount to trafficking in many cases. Ukraine and Russia have long recruited foreigners for their wars, with thousands serving on both sides.

What's behind the headline?

Analysis

• Amnesty’s report assesses how foreign nationals are drawn into the conflict by promises of well-paid civilian work, then coerced into military service. This reveals the exploitation dynamic behind recruitment in wartime.
• The piece should note the dual-use recruitment in both Russia and Ukraine and the ongoing use of foreign fighters, which complicates international responses and accountability.
• A critical angle is the human-trafficking framing under UN Palermo Protocol, which adds a legal dimension to the humanitarian impact here.

What this means for readers

• Foreign workers and refugees in conflict zones face heightened risk of coercion. This is not a distant issue; it has immediate consequences for migrants in or from affected regions and for international law enforcement and accountability.
• The report emphasizes that many recruited foreigners are used as “cannon fodder” under coercive conditions, challenging states’ claims about voluntary enlistment.

How we got here

Amnesty International has interviewed prisoners of war and foreign nationals connected to Russian forces and described how recruiters used online job ads, deceit and coercion. The report situates this within four-and-a-half years of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and notes limitations in access to prisoners of war in Russia.

Our analysis

Amnesty International, Al Jazeera, France 24, Arab News, Politico quote excerpts: Amnesty’s Agnes Callamard describes recruitment as coercive and deceptive; the report cites passports seized and misleading ads. The coverage from Al Jazeera provides case examples of individuals and the overall figure of tens of thousands of foreigners involved in both Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Go deeper

• What protections exist for foreign recruits in wartime today?
• How are international bodies addressing trafficking in the context of foreign fighters?
• Which governments are taking action against recruiters or acknowledging these reports?

More on these topics

• Amnesty International - Non-governmental organization

  Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization with its headquarters in the United Kingdom focused on human rights. The organization says it has more than eight million members and supporters around the world.

• Sri Lanka - Country in South Asia

  Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia, located in the Indian Ocean southwest of the Bay of Bengal and southeast of the Arabian Sea.

• Ukraine - Country in Europe

  Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.

• Russia - Country

  Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in

• Brazil - Country in South America

  Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At 8.5 million square kilometers and with over 211 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most

• South Africa - Country in Southern Africa

  South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is the southernmost country in Africa. With over 59 million people, it is the world's 24th-most populous nation and covers an area of 1,221,037 square kilometres.

• Colombia - Country in South America

  Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a transcontinental country largely in the north of South America, with territories in North America.

• Kenya - Country in East Africa

  Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country in Eastern Africa. At 580,367 square kilometres, Kenya is the world's 48th largest country by total area. With a population of more than 47.6 million people, Kenya is the 29th most populous country.

• North Korea - Country in East Asia

  North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia constituting the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.