Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been characterized by widespread civilian harm, destruction of infrastructure, and serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, extensively documented by Amnesty International and others.
However, the cruel impact of this war has extended further, beyond the territory of Ukraine, affecting disadvantaged communities and vulnerable individuals globally. It has been widely reported that Russia has increasingly relied on the recruitment of foreign nationals, particularly from Global South low-income countries, as combatants to support its war effort in Ukraine.
Amnesty International’s research into this issue demonstrates that this has been done through practices that are often deceptive or coercive and invariably exploitative.
These practices build on pre-existing migration pathways and the abusive practices towards migrants in Russia and have evolved since February 2022 into a system that, in many cases, results in individuals being drawn into active participation in hostilities under conditions which, in themselves, raise serious human rights concerns.
The level of exploitation and coercion involved, which has come to Amnesty International’s attention in the course of its ongoing research, leads to the conclusion that the reported practices connected to the recruitment of foreign nationals to fight for Russian forces in many cases amount to the crime of trafficking in persons.
These practices must end immediately. There must be full accountability for all those directly involved and all those complicit in the abusive practices, whether as private recruiters or intermediaries, state officials or military commanders, and full and effective reparations provided to all individuals or their families who have suffered human rights violations as a result. Where the crime of trafficking in persons has occurred, their status as victims should be considered, including those held by Ukraine as prisoners of war.
Read our report, “Russia: Trafficking of Foreign Nationals to Fight in Ukraine.”