Peruvians trapped in Russia’s war by a job promise: ‘They’re taking us as cannon fodder’
Lima acknowledges that over 450 citizens are enlisted in the Russian army and more than 110 are missing
On May 6, Karina held onto a WhatsApp message from her husband Jorge, who was fighting in Russia's war. He had promised to return and fulfill his promise of bringing cancer treatment for their family. Jorge had left Lima for Moscow in March, convinced he'd found a good job to provide security for embassies, hospitals, and schools.
He was supposed to receive $20,000 signing bonus and $2,500 monthly salary. But Jorge claims he was forced to sign a contract under threat and his documents were confiscated. He was then told he'd be sent to the front line, describing it as being "taken as cannon fodder". Karina hasn't received any money for nearly five months and Jorge is still missing.
He's not an isolated case. According to Peru's Foreign Ministry, 459 Peruvians have enlisted in the Russian forces, 114 are still missing, and three have been captured by the Ukrainian army. The ministry has evacuated 31 citizens, with 28 returning to Peru and three choosing to stay in Europe. Alejandro, another Peruvian, also fits the profile of those who've enlisted.
He guarded the U.S. Embassy in Iraq between 2010 and 2013 and traveled to Russia on March 19. Since May 23, he's been missing, with his identity card found on the battlefield in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine. The families are demanding a more active search effort and questioning the official figures, which they estimate to be much higher than the reported 459.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
