Russia needs soldiers but refuses to call up more of its own citizens. So it now hires foreign men from poor countries with false promises of wealth, stability, and Russian citizenship.
The Los Angeles Times reports that several thousand men from Iraq, Yemen, Algeria and Jordan have enlisted in the Russian army for the war in Ukraine. Recruiters pretend to be travel or job agents and pull them in through Telegram channels that each have tens of thousands of followers.
These men are told that one year of “service” in Russia’s war will earn them a good salary, free healthcare, and citizenship. For a taxi driver in Baghdad or a street vendor in Sana’a, such offers can sound like lifesaver. In reality, they often end in death – or a trench on the Ukrainian front.
The Los Angeles Times cited the story of a 54-year-old Jordanian Man who accepted such an offer. Upon arrival in Russia, he was forced to sign a contract in a language he didn’t understand. Promised a position as a cook or driver, he was instead sent directly to the front lines in Ukraine.
Similar cases have been reported from multiple Arab nations, where recruiters exploit poverty, unemployment, and social marginalization. The men are used as expendable labor in one of the most brutal wars in Europe since World War II.
The Arab recruits are far from alone.
In India, NDTV reported in early 2025 that at least 126 Indian nationals had fought on Russia’s side, with 12 confirmed dead. Survivors told the BBC they had no military training and were sent to face drones, snipers, and minefields with little food or medicine.
From Cuba, as many as 20,000 fighters are estimated to be serving under Russian command, according to Ukrainian officials. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned last week that Cuban mercenaries may soon form the largest foreign contingent in the war. CBS News obtained footage showing captured Cuban soldiers held by Ukrainian forces.
The Kremlin’s recruitment of impoverished foreigners reflects a broader strategy of outsourcing the bloodshed to men from countries where hardships entice them to come to Russia.
This exploitation of the world’s poor highlights how far Vladimir Putin’s regime is willing to go to sustain its war of aggression against Ukraine. The result is a global network of deception that turns economic despair into a weapon for Moscow’s imperial ambitions.