{
  "id": 6576926,
  "title": "Russia's recruitment of foreign nationals amounts to human trafficking, Amnesty International says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/russias-recruitment-of-foreign-nationals-amounts-to-human-trafficking",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-10T10:50:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Kyiv Independent",
    "slug": "kyiv-independent",
    "url": "https://kyivindependent.com/russias-recruitment-of-foreign-nationals-amounts-to-human-trafficking-amnesty-international-says/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Amnesty International has declared Russia's recruitment of foreign nationals for its military forces to be tantamount to human trafficking, according to a report released on September 10. The human rights organization asserts that Russia primarily targets individuals from economically disadvantaged nations in the Global South. These foreign nationals are often lured with false promises and exploited by Russian recruiters who weaponize overstayed work visas or fabricated criminal records, offering military service as an alternative to detention or deportation.\n\nUpon signing the necessary paperwork, frequently in a language they do not comprehend, these individuals face restricted movement, inadequate military training, and deployment to the front lines. Russian commanders frequently misrepresent the nature of the work and the risks involved, providing lucrative incentives that are rarely fulfilled, such as the promise of Russian citizenship.\n\nMany foreign recruits, lacking any form of military training, are deployed to active combat zones after only two weeks of training, a practice that Amnesty International describes as \"an apparent disregard for human life.\" One Sri Lankan national interviewed for the report expressed disbelief at the reality they faced, stating, \"The scale of fighting is unimaginable. You do not see Ukrainian soldiers, only drones.\"\n\nUpon joining the Russian military, these foreign nationals often have their passports confiscated and their movement severely restricted. In an interview, Pedro, a Brazilian IT professional who had signed what he believed to be a contract for a high-paying tech job, recounted his commander's threat: \"If you try to escape, you will either go to jail or we will kill you.\"\n\nAmnesty International has called upon Russia to immediately cease all abusive practices concerning the military recruitment of foreign nationals, concluding that in many instances, this constitutes human trafficking as defined by the UN's Palermo Protocol. According to Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, the level of exploitation and coercion involved in these practices led to this conclusion. As of March 30, Ukraine had identified 27,407 foreign nationals serving in Russia's armed forces, a significant increase from over 18,000 in November. These foreign nationals come from at least 135 countries, with the majority being taken prisoner, as compiled by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.",
  "summary": "Russia targets people from low-income countries, uses coercion to send them to active combat after two weeks, a new Amnesty International report says.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}