Russians are no longer the only ones fighting in Ukraine. Russia recruits globally through deception and criminal networks to sustain the war President Vladimir Putin started in 2022. Eight Peruvians have already died after traveling to Russia to pursue false job offers. Their bodies now lie in morgues near combat zones. Their families received promises of civilian work: security, logistics, or cooking services. Instead, recruiters sent them to the front lines.
Russia has globalized its war by putting together international recruitment networks across Latin America, Africa, and beyond. Estimates suggest around 15,000 Africans, 20,000 Cubans, and hundreds of Colombians, Peruvians, and Salvadorans have been drawn into the war, many under false pretenses. Russia has also mobilized vulnerable domestic students from at least 70 educational institutions across 23 regions.
Recruiters target vulnerable populations through social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. They promise salaries between US$2,400 and $4,000 per month, along with signing bonuses of up to $20,000. These sums are far above regional average incomes. As mentioned in the Impunity Observer investigation on human trafficking in Latin America, these job offers work because they exploit economic desperation.
How Recruitment Operates in Peru
Peruvian officials have identified so far a network composed of Colombian, Mexican, and Peruvian recruiters mainly targeting former military and police personnel, as well as taxi drivers. Recruiters meet victims in public spaces—such as malls, parks, and restaurants—and pressure them to sign contracts written entirely in Russian. Within days, victims board flights to Russia.
Once they arrive, handlers confiscate passports, phones, and identification documents. They inform recruits that they owe $20,000 for transport and processing fees. Within weeks, and after minimal military training, Russian commanders deploy victims to active combat zones.
Officials have stated that the company involved in recruitment within Peru has changed its name six times to evade investigation. When families file complaints, recruiters respond with threats. So far, 56 families have submitted evidence to authorities: videos, chat logs, and recruiter identities.
Local outlet América Noticias reported the case of a 31-year-old man whose identity remains undisclosed. His mother shared a video sent by her son, showing the reality in the trenches, where he faces constant drone attacks and severe shortages of basic supplies.
Another testimony reveals more alarming conditions. Vania, the wife of another man who departed for Russia, reported that Peruvian civilians receive training for high-risk tasks such as handling explosives. According to Vania, if Peruvians attempt to withdraw, commanders subject them to physical abuse.
Outsourcing Mirrors Organized Crime
Russia has formalized parts of this underhanded recruitment. In January 2024, Putin signed a decree granting Russian citizenship to foreigners who enlist in the military. When victims sign the contracts written in Russian, in many cases they unknowingly become Russian citizens.
Russian officials reported that approximately 1,500 people signed contracts daily at one point. By the end of 2023, around 500,000 men joined under contract; in 2025 alone, more than 422,000 individuals—foreign and Russian—reportedly signed contracts to fight.
While most recruits are Russian nationals, the growing reliance on foreigners—especially those recruited through deception—signals a deeper problem. Russia cannot sustain its war effort without external manpower. Instead of scaling back, it has outsourced the risks to vulnerable populations worldwide.
This strategy mirrors transnational organized crime. Recruiters use fraud, debt bondage, and document confiscation—the same tools used by human-trafficking networks. Russia is waging a war not only with weapons but with the same illicit activities that have already dragged plenty of nations to security and economic crises.
Governments across Latin America and other affected regions cannot treat these cases as isolated incidents of fraud. They must recognize a coordinated system of involuntary recruitment, which requires a foreign-policy response, criminal investigations, and public awareness campaigns.
