Peruvians were promised jobs in Russia, but were ultimately sent to the front lines to fight in Ukraine.
To fill their army with mercenaries, the Russians recruit young men from developing countries through social media, promise them large salaries, and then send them to the front lines, writes CNN.
Norma last saw her son at the end of January, when she took him to the airport in Lima, Peru. He told her he'd found a job on social media as a cook for the Russian army, claiming he'd be far from the war in Ukraine, earning a good living, and even obtaining Russian citizenship.
Norma was immediately wary. Her 31-year-old son had never left Peru before and had never held a gun.
"I wanted to just lock him in the house, but he'd already made up his mind," Norma said, noting that she'd even considered going to the police, but he'd assured her, "Mom, please understand, I'm just going to work as a cook." But a mother's heart knows—otherwise I wouldn't be so worried."
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At the airport, Norma noticed other people getting ready to board a flight to Russia. She tried to talk to them, but they refused to answer.
"My son asked me not to embarrass him, saying I should believe him, that he was simply going to work as a cook," she shared her worries. "He left, and I had a heavy feeling. I felt like something was wrong. We said goodbye—and that was the last time I saw him."
Her fears were confirmed. Soon, her son began sending videos that revealed what he was really doing. He was among hundreds of Peruvians who, they claimed, were recruited into the Russian army through local intermediaries and social media ads promising high wages. They all ended up on the front lines in Ukraine.
Shortly after his arrival, her son sent his mother photos of himself in military uniform, digging trenches and building pine shelters with other foreigners in a forest in Ukraine. Norma shared these videos with journalists. When they managed to speak by phone and in voicemails, she heard explosions in the background—her son insisted they were far away.
By early April, contact had been lost. Norma's son's last communication was that he was being "punished" for bad behavior.
"I told him, 'It's not true, you're being sent to the front lines,'" Norma recounted their conversation. "He told me to calm down. And I haven't heard from him since."
"I hope my child is alive, maybe hiding in a trench. But the truth is, I don't know anything."
"Cannon fodder"
In February, journalists reported that men from several African countries were lured to Russia with promises of well-paid jobs as drivers or security guards, and then effectively forced into military service. According to more than a dozen such men, shortly after their arrival, they were forced to sign contracts in Russian, given minimal training, and sent to war zones.
Reactions also followed at the national level. In March, the Kenyan Foreign Minister flew to Moscow and demanded an end to the recruitment of Kenyan citizens, calling the scheme essentially human trafficking. The Russian Embassy in Nairobi described these accusations as "dangerous and misleading." After thousands of Nepalese citizens went to fight on the Russian side, Nepalese authorities banned travel to Russia and Ukraine for employment purposes.
The stories of Peruvians and their families are remarkably similar. Journalists spoke with twelve families who have been protesting for several weeks at the Russian Embassy in Lima and the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, trying to find out the whereabouts of their loved ones.
Many of these men come from poor families and have little idea of what awaits them in Russia.
Pedro Bravo, head of the Office of Peruvians Abroad at Peru's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says many of those recruited have "limited resources and a desperate need for money."
"They have a poor understanding of the international situation," he clarified. "They are easier to deceive."
Rosa, a mother of three who asked that her last name not be used, said her 48-year-old husband traveled to Russia with other Peruvians hoping to find work as a security guard. He had previously worked as a prison guard in Lima but had no military experience. He accepted the offer through a local intermediary.
Journalists examined WhatsApp messages between her husband and a Spanish-speaking recruiter nicknamed "Vizio." The messages indicate that he agreed to "enlist in the Russian Federation Army" on a one-year contract. The recruiter declined to be interviewed and did not provide his real name. He promised medical and insurance coverage, as well as repatriation to Peru if injured.
Rosa is sure that her husband did not understand that he would be sent to war.
"They didn't tell him he'd be going to war, that he'd be risking his life and might not get paid. He wouldn't have gone there," she assured.
At first, his messages from Russia sounded calm. But soon they became fragmented, and he deleted them almost immediately after sending them.
"He once wrote: 'It looks like we've been brought to war. It's hell,'" Rosa recalled. In other messages, he complained about hunger, harsh training, constant drone attacks, and punishments for recruits not understanding Russian commands.
On March 26, her husband told her he was being transferred again and ordered to pack his weapons and belongings: "He said, 'I love you very much. You will always be in my heart.'"
Since then, her husband hasn't been in touch. Several of his colleagues told Rosa that her husband died in a drone attack, but she's certain he's alive.
"They were sent there as cannon fodder, as if their lives were worthless," she said through tears. "I have three children who cry for their father day and night."
This issue has attracted the attention of authorities. Last month, the Peruvian prosecutor's office announced it was investigating the recruitment, which it called "human trafficking."
Attorney Percy Salinas, who represents some of the families, provided a copy of the ruling, which outlines the scope of the case.
The complaint concerns 36 statements from Peruvian citizens who claim that their relatives and acquaintances were deceived "through false offers of employment abroad, particularly in the Russian Federation, with the aim of taking them out of the country and forcibly involving them in the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine."
Pedro Bravo reported that Peruvian authorities have sent at least 247 requests to Moscow demanding information about Peruvian citizens serving in the Russian military and are seeking "their immediate and safe return home, as they left without proper authorization."
The Russian side states that it “deeply respects the decision of foreign citizens to participate in the defense of its sovereignty and security.”
The Russian Embassy in Lima announced in April that it was prepared to take all necessary steps to obtain information regarding official requests submitted by families.
Human trafficking or personal choice
Salinas estimates that at least 800 Peruvians are currently fighting on Russia's side, many of whom agreed to join because of promises of high pay.
"The main reason families made this decision and men went to Russia was money," he concluded. "A $20,000 signing bonus and salaries of $3,000–$4,000 seemed very attractive."
According to him, most of this money never arrives. Relatives reported that their loved ones were unable to send money home even after they began their military service.
Salinas acknowledges that there is an element of personal responsibility, but believes that most of these people have been misled.
"This falls under the definition of human trafficking and is a violation of human rights," he emphasized. "People were lured with false promises of work that could ultimately lead to their death."
Guillermo, a 28-year-old former soldier from Lima, is currently in Russian-controlled Ukraine. His name has been changed: "I decided to go because I was offered a job that paid better than in Peru. They told me I'd be a security guard in Moscow, but I've already been serving for three and a half months and want to go home."
He said he and his friend were recruited by Poucho Wilson Pinto Peña, a reserve officer in the Peruvian army. Upon arrival in Russia, his phone was confiscated and he was "practically forced" to sign a contract in Russian without translation.
Journalists examined copies of the contracts—these are standard one-year contracts of the Russian army, similar to those signed by foreigners from other countries.
Pinto claims he didn't recruit the men, but merely passed on the number of another intermediary in Russia, whose name he won't disclose. He says the men had to know where they were going.
"They told me they needed personnel, but didn't specify why. But the country is at war, and as a military man, I understand where I might be sent," he replied.
Pinto claims he warned people about the risks of being sent to the front lines and even offered advice, such as ducking when drones appeared.
"I'm very sorry they may have been deceived by other people," he added. He said he accompanied one of the families to the Russian embassy in Lima. He called the human trafficking accusations "absurd."
"I'm not involved in any kind of human trafficking. I'm an honest man," he concluded.
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Guillermo said his situation was grave. His friend died a month ago.
"I'm abandoned," he confessed. "I have no food, no medicine, I was injured in a drone attack, and my kneecap is broken. Every day I carry boxes of cold food and other cargo. I walk with a cane. I can't sleep at night—my knee swells and hurts like crazy. I only want one thing—to go home."
According to him, he contacted the Peruvian embassy, but they replied that they could not help – he had signed a contract.
Pedro Bravo says Peruvian authorities have little recourse: "What can I do if someone with a knee injury is on the front lines? I can't go there and get them out."
Once the contracts are signed, he added, "reaching these people becomes extremely difficult," and Guillermo understands this. "They'll kill me," he concluded. "I have no choice."
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