Migrants from 29 countries lured into Russia’s war: UN

Bangladeshis were among nationals of several countries trafficked into the Russian armed forces through deception or coercion, a United Nations investigation has found.

Lured to Russia with promises of well-paid civilian jobs, men from at least 29 countries were instead made to sign military contracts in Russian, a language most did not understand, before being sent to the front lines in Ukraine.

Many of the recruits were reportedly killed or went missing, leaving their families struggling to find out what happened to them.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine also obtained copies of business visas issued to Bangladeshi recruits, showing that a civilian company in Russia had invited them for civilian work.

The findings were presented to the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee on Monday. The report, however, did not specify how many Bangladeshis had been trafficked, killed or reported missing.

According to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training’s Overseas Employment Platform, 7,949 employment clearances were issued for Russia between January 1, 2025, and October 27, 2026. The figure, however, does not establish how many people actually travelled to Russia or were trafficked.

A joint investigation by Fortify Rights and Truth Hounds, reported in March, identified at least 104 Bangladeshis recruited into the Russian military, of whom at least 34 were reportedly killed.

On October 14, the Special Response Battalion said 20 of 30 Bangladeshis sent to Russia with promises of construction jobs had been killed. The workers had paid an average of Tk 10 lakh each and undergone 21 days of training, it said.

The probe examined recruitment involving 48 countries, drawing on 245 testimonies, travel records and Russian military contracts. It found close coordination between recruiters and Russian authorities. Men from at least 29 of those countries were identified as trafficking victims.

Russian officials have publicly denied illegal recruitment, the report noted.

According to the report, recruiters offered jobs as drivers, security guards, electricians and construction workers, arranged travel and then handed recruits over to the Russian military. Their passports and phones were often confiscated, while military training ranged from 20 minutes to a month.

Shariful Islam Hasan, associate director of BRAC’s Migration Programme, said BRAC had warned about the practice last year.

“Many Bangladeshis were lured to Russia with promises of jobs but were later recruited into the war. Some travelled on work visas, while others went on tourist visas.”

He urged the government to trace around 8,500 Bangladeshis who had travelled legally to Russia over the past two years and determine how many were working, fighting, missing or dead.

He also called for figures on visas issued by the Russian embassy.

The commission urged Russia to release trafficking victims and investigate recruiters. It said captured recruits were entitled to prisoner-of-war protections and urged their home countries not to prosecute the victims.