Foreign POWs say tricked into fighting for Russia

Foreign POWs say tricked into fighting for Russia

By Anna MALPAS

Kyiv, Ukraine (AFP) Mar 20, 2024

Foreign troopers captured by Ukraine acknowledged they travelled to flee poverty from properties in Asia, the Caribbean and Africa however were tricked into fighting for Russia on the front strains.

Talking at a recent press occasion organised by Ukrainian officials, eight prisoners of war from Cuba, Nepal, Sierra Leone and Somalia acknowledged they were lured with promises of excessive wages, non-frontline roles or merely tricked.

Organisers defined the males as “mercenaries” from the “global South” and acknowledged they were treating them the identical as Russian POWs.

While the males acknowledged they spoke of their bear free will, they were escorted by masked guards who listened as they spoke to journalists.

The Geneva Convention says POWs must be safe from “public curiosity”.

AFP did no longer rely upon the males individually and selected no longer to title them, though organisers did.

A 35-year-historical Cuban man with dreadlocks acknowledged he had responded to a Facebook put up offering construction work in Russia.

“I did no longer accumulate I became as soon as coming to the war,” he acknowledged.

A man from Sierra Leone wiped away tears, saying he had paid a recruiter and flown to Russia for a “honest job” to boost his indispensable family however had no longer wanted to affix the navy.

The security guard acknowledged he simplest realised after signing Russian-language forms that he had joined the military.

– ‘They’re very tempted’ –

Petro Yatsenko, spokesman for a Ukrainian office responsible for prisoners of war, acknowledged Russia became as soon as seeking to recruit from very low-earnings nations.

“When the Russians offer such other folks $2,000 a month and say that they are going to in actuality be traditional as bodyguards or on the third line from the front, they’re very tempted,” he advised AFP.

Russia has grew to turn into to foreign warring parties after operating low on mercenaries from the Wagner group and ex-prisoners, Yatsenko acknowledged.

“The percentage of mercenaries is rising” as “Russia’s mobilisation helpful resource is declining”, he acknowledged.

One of the indispensable crucial prisoners in Kyiv acknowledged they willingly joined the military however did no longer request to be sent to the front.

Some acknowledged they were advised they would possibly maybe well be “helpers” for first serve and logistics.

A young Somalian man with cropped hair acknowledged he had joined up to offer his family a “honest future”.

However “I did no longer know that I would possibly maybe well be in the first line,” he acknowledged.

“I became as soon as accurate dropped there with out… colorful the language.”

A 32-year-historical man from Nepal acknowledged he had watched TikTok videos about Nepalis joining the military, saying his motivation became as soon as “for bolt about the money”.

One man acknowledged he became as soon as paid 250,000 rubles ($2,720) a month, while one other acknowledged his promised wage became as soon as $2,000.

AFP reporters in India and Nepal include investigated such recruitment, discovering it is a ways on the final finished by diagram of informal intermediaries and promotional videos posted on social media.

Applicants lacking navy ride are on the starting up advised they’ll receive non-combatant roles and the option of eternal role.

However in actuality they receive standard weapons coaching and are deployed to the front line.

– ‘Duped by recruiters’ –

Nepal has acknowledged five of its voters are prisoners of war in Ukraine and never lower than 12 were killed. It has banned voters from working in Russia or Ukraine and asked Russia to approach recruits.

Basically the most efficient prisoner in Kyiv to keep in touch standard Russian became as soon as a 24-year-historical Nepali with fingers so scarred by war-inflicted burns that he struggled to support a pen.

He acknowledged he became as soon as discovering out and dealing in Russia when he noticed recruitment posters, searching at for to turn into a “security guard or something esteem that”.

“I include no longer know what to enact, straightforward shoot,” he acknowledged.

Yatsenko entreated nations to behave to pause such other folks being “duped by recruiters who promise them mountains of gold”.

Ukraine is currently preserving foreigners in the identical detention centres and treating them the identical as Russian POWs.

“They were captured on the front line… in navy uniform, with weapons. And whether or not they’re mercenaries will seemingly be made up our minds by the court,” Yatsenko advised AFP.

“We’re enthusiastic to circulate them to their homelands,” he added, on the other hand.

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