Dominican Men Claim They Were Duped into Joining Russian Army

Three men from the Dominican Republic claim they were deceived with fake job offers in Russia and then enlisted into the army to fight in the war against Ukraine. In a social media video, the men are seen pleading for rescue, stating they were brought to Russia under employment contracts and not with knowledge of military service.

"We were deceived, contrary to what is being said, that we came here knowing what we were getting into," one of the soldiers said in the video. "That’s a lie. We were brought here under an employment contract – to work."

Dominican law requires citizens to obtain government permission before joining foreign armed forces, with potential loss of citizenship for non-compliance. The men did not specify when they arrived in Russia, their training, recruitment process, pay, or the nature of the jobs they expected.

One soldier described the harsh conditions on the front lines, alleging mistreatment by Russian forces and high casualties. He claimed that on average, only two out of every 100 soldiers survive their missions, and cited drone attacks by Ukrainian forces as a significant threat. "When those people send us to the front, there are drones that show no mercy to anyone," he said. "When one of them crashes into you – boom! It blows you to bits, shredding you into tiny, bite-sized pieces."

The video mentioned that soldiers from Peru, Panama, and India had already been extracted from Russia and repatriated. Panama's Foreign Relations Ministry facilitated the return of 17 Panamanians, including 11 who had fought for Russia. Peru reported the return of 50 citizens, four of whom had escaped a Russian training center. India's government secured the release of 139 nationals who had joined the Russian army. The soldier urged Dominican President Luis Abinader to facilitate a similar repatriation for them.

Dominican Republic Foreign Relations Minister Víctor Ito Bisonó stated that he met with Russia’s ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Alexey Seredin, and confirmed that approximately 30 Dominicans had signed contracts to join the war. Bisonó said the Dominican ambassador in Russia has been instructed to engage legal counsel to explore options for resolution within the framework of the contracts.

Carlos de Pérez, a representative from La Romana, reported on September 17 that at least 13 young men from the area were contacted via social media with deceptive job offers, such as cooks, welders, or mechanics in Russia. He noted that these individuals were already under the control of Russian personnel, undergoing examinations, and were slated to be sent to the front lines.