20 Dominicans tricked into Russian army, president says

Dominican President Luis Abinader said his government has identified 20 Dominicans who were tricked into enlisting in the Russian armed forces, as families in the Dominican Republic appealed for help bringing relatives home from Russia.

Abinader said last month in New York that the matter was under investigation. He said the government could not forbid people from taking part in activities but wanted to warn them about what they were signing up for.

Cristina Campusano said her brother, 52-year-old Jesus Campusano from Bajos de Haina, believed he was going to work as a welder in Kazan after applying through an online link. She said that after arriving at Kazan airport at the end of July, he signed a document in Russian, had his passport taken, received a uniform and was told he would be trained as a police officer. She said he later told her he might be taken to fight in the war against Ukraine.

Jaqueline del Carmen Feliz said her son, Maico Enrique Campusano, was offered work as an advertising professional, travelled through Panama and Istanbul to Kazan, and also ended up at a military base.

Amnesty International last month accused Russia of targeting civilians from low-income countries in the Global South with false promises of jobs in sectors including security, logistics, construction and IT. Carlos Sanchez Diaz, a Dominican human rights coordinator, said most Dominicans wearing Russian uniforms were recruited under false pretences and estimated that up to 100 people were victims of entrapment.

Both Russia and Ukraine have recruited thousands of foreign nationals since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Some Dominicans have volunteered to fight, including Juan Carlos Savila, who has posted social media videos showing himself on the front line.