The recruitment drive has intensified as Russia faces staggering casualties in its war against Ukraine. An analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) indicates that no world power has suffered such large losses in a conflict since World War II. Estimates of Russian dead vary widely, with BBC and Mediazona reporting 200,186 and CSIS suggesting up to 325,000. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Vladimir Putin began efforts to attract more foreign citizens, and this recruitment has only increased, according to official sources.
A key hub for this recruitment is a Telegram channel operated by Polina Aleksandrovna Azarnych, a 40-year-old Russian woman who previously worked as a Russian teacher for foreign students. The channel lures men, primarily from the Middle East, with promises of large sums of money. Public documents confirm her background, and she claims that a thousand men contact her daily. By examining the channel, SVT counted 366 prospective soldiers for whom she arranged visas, including men from Syria, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Algeria. The youngest identified were 18 years old, the oldest 59. The channel repeatedly urges contact via closed chats, suggesting the network may have recruited significantly more individuals than those identified. In her personal Telegram channel reviewed by SVT, there are images and clips of soldiers from various countries, including a man she calls Johnny, who she says is Swedish. SVT attempted to identify Johnny using facial recognition software but without result.
I swear: It is they who carry me, lower me, lift me up – in everything.
A previously classified Swedish diplomatic report reveals how Russia systematically deceives migrants, especially from Bangladesh, into participating in the war. The report describes how Russia attracts foreign labor with promises of well-paid jobs but sends them to the front in Ukraine. It states that more Bangladeshi migrant workers are being recruited for tasks that contribute to Russia's warfare, with at least 34 Bangladeshis having died and many having their passports confiscated and being forced into the war. According to the report, Russia actively recruits foreign citizens and migrants, particularly from African countries and Central Asia, with promises of high salaries and work. In some cases, officials in affected countries have actively helped lure people with false promises, leading them to end up in the 'Russian meat grinder' at the front. Sweden's embassy in Dhaka reported to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm that this involves both people aware of the risks and migrants who believed they were getting civilian jobs but are pressured into support and logistics tasks near the front. A clear pattern involves confiscated passports, involuntary contracts, and placement in frontline roles, leaving individuals unable to leave. Human rights organizations report that recruitment often occurs through legitimate channels with correct visas, but upon arrival, migrants have documents confiscated, are forced to sign contracts in Russian, and are sent to the front, where they often handle transport or evacuation despite lacking military experience.
African recruits are similarly targeted, with thousands lured to Russia with job promises only to be sent to fight against Ukraine. A viral video on social media shows an African soldier with a mine taped to his stomach being insulted as 'piece of coal' by a Russian speaker who orders him to the front, saying he will serve as a 'can opener' to pierce Ukrainian lines. Francis, an African soldier, went to Russia for work but was forced into military training before being sent to the front in Ukraine. His mother Anne described that the training lasted only three weeks and she has had no news from him since last October. More Africans are being enlisted, with some sending promotional videos promoting their new life and encouraging others to follow. Many African recruits have confided to CNN that they were attracted by promises of monthly salaries up to $3,500. Instead, they say they were forced to sign military service contracts in Russian without lawyers or translation, are victims of racism from commanders, and have never received their salary. Charles, a former fighter for Russia and a Kenyan photographer, was forced to the front, where he was injured in the spine by a Ukrainian drone, and says Russian rescue teams refused to help him. Charles described that promises of money were false, and he did not receive the promised Russian citizenship. He believes Africans are deliberately sent into combat and fled Russia as the only way to stay alive.
I didn't look. It's traumatic. Francis is my son.
Foreign citizens have been able to serve on contract in the Russian army since 2003, according to official sources. When Raed Hammad was recruited in the summer of 2025, foreign soldiers and their families were offered Russian citizenship. There are no official figures on how many foreign citizens have enlisted, but according to Ukraine's coordination unit for prisoners of war, it is about 18,000 soldiers. The exact number remains unknown, as do the total deaths among foreign recruits and the full extent of involvement by officials in affected countries. The current whereabouts of individuals like Francis, Johnny, and Raed Hammad's colleagues are also unclear, as is the full scale of recruitment through channels like Telegram beyond those identified.