Amnesty International on Thursday condemned Russia’s recruitment of foreign nationals from socio-economically disadvantaged countries to fight in Ukraine as human trafficking, stating that they were primarily recruited via deceptive job offers, had their immigration status exploited, and were handed over to Russian military forces by third-party actors.
Commenting on the issue, Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, stated:
The human suffering caused by the trafficking of foreign nationals by Russia, or by those it has enabled and incentivized, is not restricted to the front line in Ukraine. These recruitment networks reach far and wide, into vulnerable communities across the world, leaving a trail of exploitation, loss, and pain far beyond war-torn Ukraine… There must be full accountability for all those directly involved and all those complicit, whether as private recruiters or intermediaries, state officials or military commanders. Wherever human trafficking has occurred, its victims and survivors should be identified and treated as such, with all evidence collected and preserved in order to pursue those responsible.
Russia has recruited thousands of foreign nationals from low-income countries, as well as migrants and refugees already living in Russia, to fight in its war in Ukraine. Recruitment has frequently involved coercive and exploitative practices. Many recruits were lured by false promises of civilian employment, high salaries, legal status or Russian citizenship, but promptly find themselves on the front lines in Ukraine.
The Russo-Ukrainian war began in February 2014 when Russia occupied and annexed Crimea from Ukraine, following the Ukrainian Revolution. Russia then supported Russian separatist armed groups who started a war in the eastern Donbas region against Ukraine’s military, which was declared occupied in 2018. The current and largest phase of the war began in February 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and began occupying more of the country. The war has resulted in a refugee crisis and hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Today, most enlistees are deployed to the front lines within just two weeks of commencing training, with no military experience required for commitment. The organization pointed out that foreign recruits often lacked preparation and equipment, alongside having limited communication with commanders due to language barriers. It also said the two-week deployment timeline indicates that Russia’s recruitment of foreign nationals is intended primarily to boost front-line numbers rather than to ensure combat readiness.
Amnesty International is now calling on Russia to immediately end all abusive and coercive practices involving the military recruitment of foreign nationals and refugees, and their treatment in training centers and at the front line. States with vulnerable populations bear a responsibility to dismantle human trafficking networks, hold perpetrators legally accountable, and ensure comprehensive restitution for victims of exploitation.
The prohibition of human trafficking is recognized as a jus cogens norm, which is a non-derogable human right that cannot be stripped under any circumstances, including times of war. Additionally, the practice is also barred under Article 3 of the Palermo Protocol and Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which European Courts have interpreted to include human trafficking.
