Bangladesh arrests two for luring locals to fight for Russia in Ukraine

What the report says

Bangladesh police have arrested two men they say were part of a trafficking ring that recruited people with false promises of well-paid work and sent them to fight for Russia in Ukraine. Al Jazeera, citing police, identified the suspects as Mizanur Rahman and Abu Taher. Authorities said the pair allegedly helped move at least 30 Bangladeshis to Russia, where passports and phones were taken before the recruits were handed to the Russian military.

Police commander Mohammad Asaduzzaman said 17 of the men who arrived in Russia in early May were killed on their first day in combat after receiving only limited training. He said 20 Bangladeshis have been confirmed dead in total. The report also said two survivors are being treated in a Moscow hospital, while six others are still on the battlefield, based on information from a returning injured survivor.

According to the article, many of the victims came from poorer backgrounds and paid about $8,000 for the bogus jobs. The case highlights a broader wartime pattern in which both Russia and Ukraine have recruited foreign nationals since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Al Jazeera also noted accusations from rights groups and Ukrainian officials that Moscow has used deceptive recruitment tactics abroad, claims Russia has denied.