Peru escalates diplomatic pressure on Russia over fighter recruitment
Peru formally requests Russian information on fighter recruitment as African nations lodge forced recruitment accusations.
Event / Conflict
Peru Foreign Fighters Ukraine Trafficking
Peru's prosecutor investigates human trafficking of Peruvian nationals recruited to fight in Ukraine conflict. Approximately 600 Peruvians recruited since October with false salary promises; 13 confirmed dead. Peru formally demands information from Russia about fighters' status while Russia claims recruitment was voluntary.
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2026-08-18 to 2026-11-15 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 2 May, 12:07 UTC
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What happened
Approximately 600 Peruvians recruited to fight in Russia-Ukraine conflict since October
About 600 Peruvians traveled to Russia since October after being recruited with false promises of monthly salaries between $2,000 and $3,000. According to the attorney representing families, 13 Peruvians have died in the armed conflict that began with Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russian Embassy in Peru confirms Peruvians signed contracts with Russian armed forces
The Russian Embassy in Peru acknowledged in a statement that certain Peruvians had signed contracts to serve in the Russian armed forces, asserting these were voluntary decisions.
Peru formally requests information from Russia about Peruvian fighters
Peru's Foreign Ministry formally requested the Russian Embassy's chargé d'affaires in Lima to provide urgent information about the location and health status of Peruvians serving in Russian armed forces.
Peruvian prosecutor opens investigation into alleged human trafficking of Peruvians to Ukraine conflict
Peru's prosecutor's office announced the opening of an investigation into alleged human trafficking following complaints about a transnational network recruiting Peruvians to fight on the Ukrainian front. Former military and police officers were recruited via social media through deceptive job offers promising work in Russia as security agents or in other positions. Victims were reportedly transferred to Russia and once on foreign territory, forced to participate in combat operations in the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Multiple African nations accuse Russia of forced recruitment of their nationals
Authorities from several countries, particularly in Africa, have accused Russia of forcibly enrolling their citizens in the military after luring them through deception.
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Peru opens trafficking probe into recruitment of conflict fighters
Peru investigates trafficking allegations tied to recruitment of 600 nationals for Russia-Ukraine conflict.