Police in Bangladesh have detained two men they allege are linked to a trafficking operation that sent citizens to fight for Russia in Ukraine. The suspects are Mizanur Rahman and Abu Taher. Mohammad Asaduzzaman, commander of the elite Special Response Battalion, said on Wednesday that the pair had moved at least 30 people to Russia using false promises of well-paid work.
Asaduzzaman said the recruits had their passports and phones seized after arriving abroad, and were then handed over to the Russian military. Seventeen of them, who reached Russia in early May, were killed on their first day of deployment after receiving minimal training, he said. In total, 20 Bangladeshis have been confirmed dead.
Trafficked Bangladeshis used as bait, police say
“Bangladeshis were used as bait to locate enemy positions,” he said. “Russian forces determined their next course of action after the Bangladeshis fell victim to drone attacks.”
Citing an injured survivor who managed to return home, police said two more men are being treated in a Moscow hospital, while six others remain on the battlefield. The victims came from poor backgrounds, and had paid roughly $8,000 for the bogus jobs, Bangladeshi media reported.
Foreign fighters swell both sides of the war
Russia and Ukraine have both recruited thousands of foreign nationals into their armies since Russia launched its invasion four and a half years ago. An estimated 28,000 foreigners from 136 countries are said to be fighting for Moscow. Officials believe Russia deployed around 14,000 North Korean troops to confront Ukraine’s 2024 incursion into the Kursk region.
Ukraine says 16,000 foreign nationals from more than 70 countries are currently serving in its army, with nearly 40 percent coming from Latin America.
Zelenskyy and Amnesty warn over foreign recruitment
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly last month, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia deceptively recruits people from 47 countries for what he called an “absolutely brutal” campaign. He urged governments not to let Moscow “drag” their citizens into the war.
Amnesty International has also accused Russia of using “deceptive, coercive and exploitative practices” to recruit foreigners for the front in Ukraine. Russia has previously dismissed accusations that it coerces foreigners into its army. Amnesty said it cannot investigate foreigners serving in Ukraine’s army because it has no access to prisoners of war held in Russia, which has designated the rights group a “foreign agent”.
