UN inquiry finds Russia trafficked men from 29 countries

A UN-mandated commission said on Monday, October 26, that it had found "compelling evidence" that Russian authorities, working with recruiting agents abroad, trafficked men from 29 countries into the Russian armed forces through deception or coercion. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded that this recruitment amounts to trafficking in persons and violates the victims' basic human rights. It called for every trafficked recruit to be discharged from Russia's military.hromadske.ua+1

The findings appear in a report to the UN General Assembly. The same report also accused Moscow of war crimes and crimes against humanity over its continuing attacks on Ukraine's energy grid.infobae.com

False job offers

The commission said agents posed as legitimate, government-endorsed businesses. They arranged visas and travel for groups of recruits and sometimes flew with them, and contacts in Russia met the men at airports. Recruits were offered civilian work as drivers, mechanics, security guards and construction workers. After they arrived, they were made to sign military contracts written in Russian, a language many could not read. According to the report, "passports and phones were often confiscated," and agents and commanders usually kept the payments and bonuses the men had been promised.hromadske.ua+2

The wife of one man recruited from the Caribbean told investigators, "They took his passport and just told him to sign here, here and here on the contract. It was only in Russian". The commission examined the cases of nationals from 48 states. The 29 countries it confirmed range from India and Bangladesh to Kenya, South Africa, El Salvador, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.infobae.com+1

Sent to the front

The commission drew on 245 testimonies. It found that foreign recruits were often given assault duties, that men who refused were threatened with beatings or death, and that drones were used to stop them from retreating. One group of 30 men had a written guarantee that they would not be sent to fight. Of that group, 17 have since died, five are missing and one came back wounded.hromadske.ua

The commission said the victims are not mercenaries under international humanitarian law. Because they were formally enlisted in Russia's forces, they are entitled to prisoner-of-war protections if captured. It also urged their home governments not to prosecute them when they return. The commission found that foreigners who joined Ukraine's military did so "knowingly and voluntarily".cnn.com+1

Recruitment in Africa grows

The report came out as Russia steps up recruiting in Africa. Ukrainian intelligence findings reviewed by Bloomberg show that 699 men from Burundi were recruited between January and September 2026, compared with 30 in all of 2025. Botswana's foreign minister said 15 recruited citizens are missing, and Zimbabwe has arrested two Russians suspected of recruiting. The Kremlin says Russia has enough military personnel.newsukraine.rbc.ua+1