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A job in Russia? It could be the war.

They promise good pay and safe work. Many end up on the front line. Read this before you sign.

See the risk What to do

Many do not come back

These are minimum numbers. The real numbers may be higher.

Up to 1 in 5 foreigners dies in combat. Nearly half of them in the first 4 months.Source: reports cited by FIDH, 2026.2

  • 118Nepalis killed20
  • 62Ghanaians killed9
  • 51Indians killed16

Figures given by each country's own government in 2026.

Dead and missing, by country

  • Missing
  • Dead
  • Nepal 132 missing 118 dead
  • Ghana 15 missing 62 dead
  • India 7 missing, 70 untraced 51 dead
  • Kenya 84 dead or missing
  • Uganda 27 dead or presumed dead
  • Zimbabwe 18 dead
  • Cameroon 16 dead

Government figures. Kenya and Uganda do not separate dead from missing.7 9 10 11 12 16 20

See all countries and who gives each number
All of these numbers are estimates or minimum counts. Government figures cover only cases the government knows about. Ukrainian figures come from one side in the war. We never add figures from different sources together.

Africa

CountryRecruitedDead or missingWho says so
Kenya 354 identified
estimate: over 1,000		 At least 84 killed or missing Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oct. 2026; 62 brought home, 5 prisoners of war.7 The estimate is from Kenya's intelligence service, Feb. 2026.8
Ghana No government count 62 dead, 15 missing Foreign minister, 18 Aug. 2026.9
Uganda No government count 11 confirmed dead, 16 presumed dead Uganda's embassy in Moscow, letter of 17 Oct. 2026 seen by Reuters, using Russian data.10
Zimbabwe No government count 18 dead Government, 2026. Another 66 were alive and awaiting return in March. At least 8 recruiters arrested.11
Cameroon No government count 16 dead Deaths confirmed by Russia to Cameroon's foreign ministry, Apr. 2026.12
South Africa 17 men asked for help At least 2 dead Presidency, Nov. 2025; 15 returned by Feb. 2026.13
Nigeria No government count No government count The government issued an official warning on 15 Feb. 2026.14

Across Africa, Ukraine's foreign ministry counts at least 2,982 recruits from 37 countries and 486 known dead (Aug. 2026).15

South Asia

CountryRecruitedDead or missingWho says so
Nepal No official count 118 dead, 132 missing, 219 injured Ministry of Foreign Affairs and consular department, Feb. 2026.20
India About 267 51 dead; 77 still being traced, 7 of them confirmed missing Ministry of External Affairs report to the Supreme Court, Oct. 2026; 139 discharged.16
Sri Lanka 554
Ukraine: at least 751		 59 dead
Ukraine: at least 275		 Foreign minister to Parliament, as of Jan. 2025. Ukraine's count runs to Sept. 2025.22
Bangladesh One group of 30 20 of the 30 dead Police unit briefing, 14 Oct. 2026.23

Caribbean

Dominican Republic: 20 citizens identified by their families as recruited, according to the foreign ministry.26 We found no public figures for Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados or the Bahamas. That does not mean there are no cases. For Cuba, Colombia, Peru and Brazil, see the Spanish and Portuguese pages.

Worldwide: the BBC counted at least 3,589 foreigners killed on Russia's side by July 2026: 2,304 North Koreans and 1,285 from more than 40 other countries.3 Ukraine says it knows of at least 5,149.4

More foreigners are recruited every year

Contracts identified by Ukraine1
  • 202294
  • 20234,067
  • 20248,877
  • 202516,085
  • 2026 9 months16,168

The money does not come

What they say and what happens.

They say

“You will earn $2,500 a month.”17

What happens

Many get nothing.6Amnesty International, interviews with prisoners from eight countries.

They say

“We will help you with the bank.”

What happens

They keep your bank card or take money from your account.5UN Commission of Inquiry, 2026.

They say

“The contract is for one year.”

What happens

When the year ends, they do not let you go.4Ukraine counts 3,080 foreigners in this situation.

They say

“If you die, your family gets paid.”

What happens

Most families get nothing.5 16India: 51 dead; one family paid in full and one in part, the Supreme Court heard.

Russia already pays less to the families of its own soldiers

In 2026, more than ten Russian regions cut the payment for a soldier's death.29

Regional payment for a soldier's death, in roubles

  • Before
  • Now
  • Kemerovo3,000,0001,000,000
  • Belgorod3,000,0001,000,000
  • Ulyanovsk1,000,00050,000
  • Saratov1,000,000100,000
  • Omsk1,000,000500,000
  • Smolensk1,000,000700,000
  • Samara1,000,000Abolished

Sources: Meduza, 1 Oct. 2026; Kyiv Post, 5 Nov. 2026; Bloomberg, 5 Nov. 2026.27 28 29

More about pay

What is offered

Indians were promised about $5,000 up front, about $2,500 a month and Russian citizenship, India's government told its Supreme Court.17 Kenyans were promised up to 350,000 shillings a month, about $2,400.8

You pay first

Agents charged recruits between $400 and $8,000, the UN found.5

Recruits were never paid, were paid a small part, or found their accounts blocked. Agents or soldiers took their bank cards or kept a second card.5

Families and bodies

Families' efforts to bring bodies home or collect pay were “usually without result”, the UN found.5

Bangladesh: no bodies returned from Russia and no compensation paid, for lack of proof of death.24

Declared missing

Russian courts received 20,040 requests to declare people missing or dead in 2024, against about 8,000 a year before the war. A “missing” ruling stops the pay and does not release the death payment.30

The death payment

On paper, Russia's federal payment is 5 million roubles and has not changed.29 The cuts are to regional payments, by up to 95%.27

How they trick you

The United Nations calls it human trafficking. It found victims from 29 countries.5

  1. The advert

    It comes on social media. It offers work as a guard, driver, cook or welder.5

  2. The trip

    An agent arranges your ticket and a tourist visa. Often you pay the agent.5

  3. Arrival

    They often take your passport and your phone.5

  4. The contract

    It is in Russian. They make you sign. It is with the army.5

  5. Training

    From 20 minutes to one month, the UN says.5

  6. The front line

    They send you to the most dangerous tasks.5

30 men had a written promise they would not be sent to the war. 17 are dead and 5 are missing.UN Commission of Inquiry, October 2026.5

Be careful if…

  • Everything is done by social media or messages.
  • You travel on a tourist visa to “work”.
  • They ask for your passport or your phone.
  • They give you papers in a language you cannot read.
  • The pay is far too high for the job.
  • The agency is not licensed in your country.

Based on official warnings from Nigeria, Kenya and India.14 19 36

Women: be careful with “Alabuga Start”

It promises work and study in Russia to women aged 18 to 22, many of them from Africa. Many end up building military drones.31

More detail and context

What the UN found

The UN commission looked at 48 countries and found evidence of deception or coercion in 29. They include Bangladesh, Botswana, Cameroon, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Zimbabwe.5

Contracts were signed hours or days after arrival and were written only in Russian. Most of the men it documented were killed or went missing.5

What is also true

Not everyone was deceived. India's government says some of its citizens signed up willingly.17 In a Ukrainian survey of foreign prisoners, 28% did not know they would fight Ukraine.1

Russia denies it. Its foreign minister said: “Russia is not forcing anyone to enlist.”32

The UN found no deception or coercion in Ukraine's recruitment of foreigners.5

What to do

It is much easier to get out before you sign.

You got an offer

Do not hand over your passport. Do not sign what you cannot read. Keep screenshots of the messages.

You are in Russia and have not signed

Go to your embassy. Four Dominicans who refused to sign were taken in by their embassy in Moscow.26

You are looking for a relative

Tell your foreign ministry and report it to the police.

The International Red Cross searches for missing people for free. You can also go to the Red Cross or Red Crescent in your country.33

You are already at the front

Ukraine runs a state project for surrendering as a prisoner of war: “I Want to Live”. Another service, “I Want to Find”, tells families what it knows.34 35

It belongs to one side in the war. Contacting it from inside a Russian unit is dangerous.

Official help lines

KenyaMinistry of Foreign Affairs, free line, 24 hours: 19911. From abroad: +254 20 3318888.36
NigeriaAnti-trafficking agency NAPTIP: call 627.37
South AfricaForeign affairs department, 24-hour operations room: +27 12 351 1000.38
NepalEmbassy in Moscow: +7 499 252 73 56.40
Dominican RepublicEmbassy in Moscow: +7 495 415 36 01.26
Any country, from inside RussiaInternational Red Cross, free line: 8 800 600 92 69, or +7 495 626 54 26.33

Other countries: look for the emergency contact on your foreign ministry's official website.

You may also be in trouble with the law at home. South African law bars citizens from joining foreign armies without government permission.39 The Philippines warns you could lose your citizenship.25 Nigeria says it may break laws on mercenary activity.14

Questions people ask

The job is as a cook, driver or guard. Is it still dangerous?

Yes. The UN documented false offers of civilian jobs like these that ended in army contracts.5

Can I leave when the year is over?

There is no guarantee. Ukraine counts 3,080 foreigners who were kept in the army after their contract ended.4

Do they really pay?

Sometimes a part. Many prisoners interviewed by Amnesty received nothing.6 The UN found bank cards taken and accounts blocked.5

Do they give Russian citizenship?

Russia promises it to those who sign.6 But the passport does not let you leave the army, and you have to survive to get it.

What does my family get if I die?

On paper, 5 million roubles.29 In practice, families' efforts were “usually without result”, the UN found.5

Is it a crime in my country?

It depends on the country. The UN says people recruited this way are not mercenaries, and asks governments not to prosecute victims of trafficking.5 Ask a lawyer in your country.

What happens if I am captured?

You are a prisoner of war, protected by the Geneva Conventions, the UN says.5 Getting home from there is slow.

Can my embassy get me out?

Before you sign, often yes. After, it is very hard. Botswana's government says the help it can give is “extremely limited”.41 Some governments have brought people home: Kenya 62, South Africa 15.7 13

Why do the numbers change from one source to another?

Because they count different things: contracts, cases reported by families, or estimates. We always say who gives each number.

Sources

Checked up to 10 November 2026.

  1. Ukrainska Pravda, 20 Oct. 2026. Data from Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. pravda.com.ua
  2. FIDH, Truth Hounds and KIBHR, 29 Apr. 2026. fidh.org. Full report: PDF
  3. BBC News Russian, 10 July 2026. bbc.com. English summary: meduza.io
  4. Interfax-Ukraine, 29 Apr. 2026. Statements by the Coordination Headquarters. interfax.com.ua
  5. UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, report A/81/440, 26 Oct. 2026. PDF. Press release: ohchr.org
  6. Amnesty International, 10 Sept. 2026. amnesty.org
  7. Kenya's Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, reply to Parliament, reported 8 Oct. 2026. allafrica.com
  8. Kenya's National Intelligence Service report to Parliament, Feb. 2026, reported by NPR. ctpublic.org
  9. Ghana's foreign minister, 18 Aug. 2026. myjoyonline.com
  10. Reuters in TimesLIVE, 29 Oct. 2026. timeslive.co.za
  11. CITE, 3 Aug. 2026. cite.org.zw. AP, 25 Mar. 2026. wtop.com
  12. Al Jazeera, 7 Apr. 2026. aljazeera.com
  13. South African Government News Agency, 6 Nov. 2025. sanews.gov.za. Al Jazeera, 25 Feb. 2026. aljazeera.com
  14. Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Press Release MFA/PR/2026/16, 15 Feb. 2026. foreignaffairs.gov.ng
  15. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported by Ukrainska Pravda, 16 Aug. 2026. pravda.com.ua
  16. LiveLaw, Supreme Court of India hearing of 14 Oct. 2026. livelaw.in
  17. ThePrint, 22 May 2026. India's Ministry of External Affairs report to the Supreme Court. theprint.in
  18. Supreme Court of India, order of 31 July 2026. sci.gov.in
  19. The Tribune, 30 Sept. 2026. India's Ministry of External Affairs advisory. tribuneindia.com
  20. The Kathmandu Post, 24 Feb. 2026. kathmandupost.com
  21. Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, press release, 30 Apr. 2026. mofa.gov.np
  22. Daily FT (Sri Lanka), 6 Mar. 2026. ft.lk
  23. AFP in The Star, 15 Oct. 2026. thestar.com.my
  24. Prothom Alo, Oct. 2026. prothomalo.com
  25. Philstar, 13 Feb. 2026. Department of Foreign Affairs advisory. philstar.com
  26. Dominican Republic's foreign ministry (MIREX), 7 Oct. 2026. mirex.gob.do. EFE, 26 Oct. 2026. eldinero.com.do
  27. Meduza, 1 Oct. 2026. meduza.io
  28. Kyiv Post, 5 Nov. 2026. kyivpost.com
  29. Bloomberg, 5 Nov. 2026, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda, 6 Nov. 2026. pravda.com.ua
  30. Mediazona, 3 Feb. 2025. zona.media
  31. Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 8 May 2025. globalinitiative.net. Interpol inquiry in Botswana: kyivindependent.com
  32. The Moscow Times, 16 Mar. 2026. themoscowtimes.com
  33. International Committee of the Red Cross, Central Tracing Agency Bureau. The online form is in English, Ukrainian and Russian. icrc.org
  34. Ukrainian state project “I Want to Live”. hochuzhit.com/en
  35. Ukrainian state project “I Want to Find”. hochunaiti.com
  36. Kenya's Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs. mfa.go.ke. Embassy advisory reported 16 Feb. 2026: hapakenya.com
  37. Nigeria's National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons. naptip.gov.ng
  38. South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation, consular services. dirco.gov.za
  39. South Africa, Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act 15 of 1998. gov.za
  40. Embassy of Nepal in Moscow. nepalembassy.gov.np
  41. AFP in Arab News, July 2026. Botswana's Ministry of International Relations. arabnews.com