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Wednesday | October 28, 2026 | Dhaka

Russia lured BD locals into war: UN

Russia called the allegations fabricated
 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:03 AM, 28 October 2026

Russia recruited citizens from 29 countries, including Bangladesh, into its armed forces through deception and coercion, according to a United Nations report cited by The Washington Post.

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine presented the report to the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee on Monday, October 26.

The report said Moscow had recruited foreign nationals aged between 18 and 60 into its armed forces in violation of international law, targeting economically disadvantaged, marginalised and less-educated people.

According to the report, travel agencies and local brokers operating in different countries lured victims to Russia with promises of high-paying jobs. After their arrival, they were forced to sign contracts written in Russian with the defence ministry, often without understanding their contents.

By the time many realised they were being sent to fight on the front lines of the war in Ukraine, it was too late, the report said.

The commission examined information concerning citizens from 48 countries and found specific evidence of deceptive recruitment involving nationals of 29 countries.

The countries are Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Brazil, Botswana, Cameroon, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ghana, Honduras, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Somalia, Tajikistan,

Tunisia, Türkiye, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Yemen and Zimbabwe. The report also documented the impact of Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine’s electricity and energy infrastructure.

The commission described deliberately depriving millions of civilians of electricity and energy services during severe winter conditions as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Commission Chair Erik Møse said power outages left older people and those with illnesses at serious risk during drone and missile attacks.

The findings were based on testimony from 255 victims, medical professionals and civil society organisations in Kyiv and other regions during the winter of 2025-26.

Russia’s mission to the United Nations rejected the report, describing the allegations as baseless and fabricated.