Russia is deceitfully recruiting Bangladeshi citizens to fight against Ukraine, - AP
Russian recruiters lure Bangladeshi citizens to Russia under the guise of civilian job offers, then forcibly send them to fight in the war against Ukraine.
This is mentioned in an investigation by the Associated Press, reports Censor.NET.
Testimony of fugitives
AP journalists interviewed three Bangladeshi citizens who managed to escape from the Russian army and return to their homeland.
One of them, a man named Rahman, shared his experience. He was looking for work abroad when a recruiter offered him a job as a cleaner at a military camp in Russia. The agent promised a salary of $1,000-1,500 per month and the possibility of obtaining a permanent residence permit.
Arrival in Russia and coercion
Rahman arrived in Moscow in December 2024 with a group of other Bangladeshi workers. There, they were asked to sign documents in Russian, which later turned out to be military contracts rather than employment agreements.
After signing, they were taken to a military camp, where they began training in the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles, medical evacuation, and other combat skills.
According to Rahman, he refused to serve, but the Russian commander explained through a translation app that the agent had effectively "sold" them to the military. To force the Bangladeshis to fight, they were threatened with 10 years in prison and subjected to physical violence.
Use on the front lines
Three Bangladeshis interviewed by journalists recounted their experiences on the front line. During combat operations, they were systematically sent ahead of the main Russian military units.
They were tasked with:
- Transportation of ammunition to positions
- Evacuation of wounded Russian soldiers
- Removal of the bodies of deceased military personnel
Injury and escape
Ultimately, Rahman sustained a leg injury during combat operations. He was sent for treatment to a medical facility near Moscow.
While in hospital, he managed to escape and reach the Bangladeshi embassy in the Russian capital. There, he was issued with a travel document that allowed him to leave the country.
Documentary evidence
AP journalists confirmed the Bangladeshis' accounts with numerous documents:
- Travel tickets and visas
- Russian military contracts
- Medical certificates describing combat injuries
- Police reports
- Photos from places of service
- Army tokens
AP also interviewed families of other Bangladeshi citizens whose relatives had gone to Russia to work, were recruited into the Russian army, and went missing in action. They provided documents confirming the recruitment.
Contract verification
The agency forwarded the military contracts it obtained to two Russian organizations that help Russian citizens evade mobilization or be discharged from military service.
All of the documents examined bore the signature of Major Vladimir Yaltsev, head of the Kostroma Regional Center for Contract Military Service Recruitment.
Missing persons
The publication also provides information about two men who managed to inform their relatives that they were being forcibly taken to the front in Ukraine. After that, all contact with them ceased.
Their families filed an official complaint with the police in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. They visited government offices three times in an attempt to get the authorities to intervene in the situation.
The families of the missing also stated that they had not received any money that their relatives had allegedly "earned" in Russia.
At the end of 2024, the families contacted BRAC, an organization that protects the rights of Bangladeshi migrant workers. They reported that they had lost contact with their relatives in the Russian Federation.
The organization conducted its own independent investigation and identified at least 10 men who disappeared under similar circumstances.
Exposure of human trafficking network
The Lakshmipuri regional police determined that a local agent was referring potential employees to a chief recruiter associated with SP Global.
The company did not respond to requests from the Associated Press. Investigators found that it ceased official operations in 2025.
In January 2025, a man returned to Bangladesh claiming that he had been tricked into fighting in the Russian army. Following this, the Bangladeshi police uncovered an extensive human trafficking network to Russia.
According to law enforcement officials, such networks are run by Bangladeshi intermediaries who have ties to representatives of the Russian government. As a result of the police investigation, nine more people were identified who had been lured into the war under the pretext of civilian work.
The scale of the problem
The exact number of Bangladeshi citizens who were fraudulently recruited to Russia remains unknown.
Bangladeshi police officials told the Associated Press that around 40 Bangladeshi citizens are believed to have been killed in the war against Ukraine.
At the same time, law enforcement officials note that some Bangladeshis go to war voluntarily because they are promised high monetary rewards, which are difficult to earn in their low-income country.
