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Russia Lured Hundreds of Peruvians Into Its War Against Ukraine, CNN Investigation Finds
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Hundreds of Peruvian citizens may have been recruited into Russia’s military under false promises of civilian employment, before being sent to fight in Ukraine, according to a CNN investigation published on June 29.
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Peruvian prosecutors are investigating the recruitment scheme as a possible case of human trafficking, while families continue searching for missing relatives.
According to CNN, recruiters targeted economically vulnerable Peruvians through social media, advertising jobs such as cooks or security guards in Russia with promises of high salaries, signing bonuses, and a path to Russian citizenship.
Many recruits believed they were traveling to Russia for civilian work. Family members told the broadcaster that after arriving, their relatives had their phones confiscated and were required to sign military contracts written in Russian, without translation or legal assistance.
Following limited military training, the recruits were reportedly deployed to the front line in Ukraine.
CNN documented several individual cases through interviews with families in Peru. One man told his mother he had accepted a job as a cook in Russia but later sent a video showing himself digging trenches in Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine. Communication stopped shortly afterward.
His mother recalled warning him before he departed, saying, “I told him: that’s a lie, you’re going to fight on the front line.” According to CNN, she has not heard from him since.
Another family told CNN that a man who believed he would work as a security guard instead signed a one-year contract with the Russian military. His last message to his wife stated: “I love you all very much. You will always be in my heart.” Contact ended after he informed his family he was being transferred with orders to take his weapon and personal belongings.
According to CNN, relatives of missing Peruvians have staged demonstrations outside the Russian Embassy in Lima and Peru’s Foreign Ministry, seeking information about their loved ones.
Peru’s Public Ministry has opened an investigation into the recruitment network, treating the case as a possible human trafficking operation. Officials have received at least 36 formal complaints involving citizens believed to have been recruited and sent to participate in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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Peru’s Foreign Ministry said it has submitted at least 247 official requests to Russian authorities seeking information about Peruvian nationals and calling for their return. However, officials acknowledge that their ability to secure repatriation is limited because the recruits formally signed contracts with Russia’s Defense Ministry.
CNN also cited lawyer Percy Salinas, who represents several affected families, as estimating that as many as 800 Peruvian citizens could currently be serving in the Russian armed forces.
Earlier, Ukraine’s military intelligence reported that Russia had recruited at least 215 Nigerian citizens into its armed forces, allegedly using deceptive job offers to lure recruits before sending many to fight in Ukraine despite official protests from Nigeria.
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