UN Report /Russia recruits citizens from 29 countries as army, including Bangladesh, Jordan through deceptive job offers
A report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, submitted to the United Nations General Assembly, has concluded that Russian authorities committed war crimes and crimes against humanity through widespread and repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The attacks deprived millions of civilians of electricity, heating, water and gas, particularly during the winter months. The report also documented the recruitment of citizens from 29 countries, including Bangladesh, into the Russian armed forces through misleading civilian job offers, as well as the use of deception and coercion to force them to sign military contracts and deploy to the front lines.
The report was transmitted to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session by the UN Secretary-General.
It draws on investigations conducted by the Commission into the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine, focusing on the harm inflicted on civilians by attacks on energy facilities and on patterns of foreign recruitment into the Russian armed forces.
The Commission said it had found what it described as strong evidence that Russian authorities, working with intermediaries and recruitment networks operating in various countries and regions, had lured individuals from 29 countries through deception or coercion for the purpose of recruiting them into the Russian armed forces.
It concluded that these practices amounted to human trafficking and other human rights violations. It also determined that attacks targeting essential civilian energy infrastructure constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Repeated Attacks on Energy Infrastructure Leave Millions Without Essential Services
The first part of the report examined Russia’s widespread attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since 10 October 2022. It stated that the attacks had continued for more than four years, with Russian forces launching successive waves of drones and missiles that caused extensive damage to electricity generation facilities, thermal power plants, distribution networks, transmission lines, substations and gas facilities.
According to the report, the consequences extended beyond electricity outages to heating, water and gas supplies, severely deteriorating living conditions across large areas, particularly during periods of extreme cold. The attacks intensified during the winter of 2025–2026, when temperatures fell to around minus 21 degrees Celsius.
To assess the impact of the previous winter, the Commission drew on testimonies from 255 people who had experienced disruptions to essential services in Ukrainian cities and regions, including Dnipro, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Zaporizhzhia and Zhytomyr. It also considered information provided by Ukrainian authorities, medical professionals and non-governmental organisations.
The report cited Ukrainian authorities as saying that the attacks had reduced thermal power generation capacity by 70 per cent in the worst-affected areas. Millions of civilians remained without electricity, while others endured outages lasting hours or days.
Hundreds of thousands of households also lost heating during the winter. The disruptions were particularly severe between late December 2025 and late February 2026, with some homes remaining without heating for days or weeks during the coldest periods.
In some areas, electricity was available for an average of just two hours a day, often at night. Residents were forced to use these brief windows to warm their homes to a limited extent, heat water and operate essential appliances.
Damage to electricity networks also affected water supplies, as pumping stations in several areas depended on electrical power. Outages disrupted households’ ability to cook and preserve food, store medicines at appropriate temperatures and operate medical equipment required by some patients.
Commission: Attacks on Essential Civilian Energy Facilities Constitute War Crimes
In its legal findings, the Commission said the available evidence indicated that Russian commanders who ordered the attacks knew that heating facilities serving large population centres were indispensable to civilians, particularly during winter.
It added that official Russian statements indicating that the attacks would continue, combined with the nature of the targets, the geographical scale of the strikes and their repeated occurrence, supported its conclusion that civilian facilities had been targeted, despite Russian authorities’ claims that some targets had military or dual-use functions.
The Commission concluded that attacks directed against civilian energy facilities, particularly infrastructure essential to the population’s survival, constituted the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects.
It also considered the scale and frequency of the attacks, their escalation during periods of extreme cold, the clear impact on civilians, official statements and the existence of a plan to carry them out as evidence that the attacks formed part of a policy aimed at depriving civilians of essential energy supplies and causing them suffering.
On this basis, the Commission concluded that Russian authorities had committed a crime against humanity in the form of other inhumane acts, owing to the widespread physical and psychological harm inflicted on the population through repeated and prolonged deprivation of essential services.
The report stressed that the cumulative impact of the attacks over several years had made it increasingly difficult for civilians to cope with the crisis. The expanding geographical reach, growing intensity and repeated nature of the strikes had increased the number of people affected and deepened their suffering.
Harsh Living Conditions and Physical and Psychological Harm to Civilians
The report documented the public health consequences of electricity and heating outages, noting that some residents had been forced to live in homes where indoor temperatures fell to levels close to zero degrees Celsius.
According to testimonies collected by the Commission, people suffered from acute and chronic respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular problems, heart attacks and strokes, as well as skin injuries and other health conditions associated with prolonged exposure to cold.
The report said Ukrainian authorities had documented deaths caused by low indoor temperatures since October 2025, including deaths in hospitals. Medical workers also reported treating patients suffering from frostbite and hypothermia who required hospitalisation after remaining in unheated premises.
Older people living alone were among the most severely affected, according to the report, alongside individuals with chronic illnesses and those dependent on electrically powered medical equipment.
The Commission found that power outages impaired hospitals’ and medical centres’ ability to conduct certain tests and operations, transport patients, and store medicines, vaccines and blood under appropriate conditions.
Some smaller healthcare facilities also experienced difficulties because of limited generator capacity, equipment failures or fuel shortages.
Households with children were particularly affected. Schools in some areas closed or switched to remote learning during the crisis, while children were forced to remain in cold homes for extended periods.
The consequences were not limited to physical health. The Commission identified psychological effects including anxiety, depression, exhaustion and insomnia, caused by unpredictable disruptions to electricity and heating and fears that the harsh conditions would persist.
It said some people continued to experience psychological distress even after the winter had ended.
Foreign Nationals from 29 Countries, Including Jordan, Recruited Through Deceptive Civilian Job Offers
Another section of the report examined the recruitment of foreign nationals to fight in the Russian armed forces. The Commission concluded that recruitment was not limited to individuals who voluntarily enlisted, but also involved networks that used deception and coercion to lure men from multiple countries.
The Commission said it had investigated the recruitment of citizens from 48 countries and found evidence that people from 29 countries had been recruited through deception or coercion.
The countries listed were Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Botswana, Cameroon, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ghana, Honduras, India, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Türkiye, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Yemen and Zimbabwe.
The report said that all the victims covered by the cases examined by the Commission were men aged between 18 and 60. Most came from economically disadvantaged backgrounds or marginalised communities, and many had limited education or were struggling with unemployment and financial difficulties.
The report did not specify how many Jordanian citizens had been recruited through these methods, nor did it provide details of individual Jordanian cases. Jordan’s inclusion on the list means that the Commission found evidence of the recruitment of Jordanian nationals through deception or coercion. However, the available information does not establish the number of victims or the circumstances of individual cases.
The Commission explained that it had excluded from its investigation cases in which individuals knowingly and voluntarily joined the Russian or Ukrainian armed forces. Its focus was on recruitment practices that violated international law.
High-Paying Job Advertisements and Promises of Citizenship and Housing
According to the report, many recruitment operations began with advertisements on social media platforms or approaches by intermediaries and companies offering civilian jobs in Russia.
These included positions as security guards, drivers, mechanics, electricians, construction workers, technicians, maintenance workers and transport personnel.
In other cases, jobs were advertised in fields matching applicants’ qualifications, including information technology, medicine, sports and agriculture.
The report said the offers included promises of high salaries, Russian citizenship, comfortable accommodation and pensions after the end of service, along with other benefits. These incentives made the jobs appear legitimate and attractive to people facing economic hardship.
Some recruits received official invitation letters from civilian companies in Russia or documents that appeared to confirm the legitimacy of the employment arrangements, strengthening their trust in the organisations that had contacted them.
In some cases, written assurances were also used to guarantee that the work would not involve participation in the Russia-Ukraine war or enlistment in the Russian army.
The report highlighted the case of a group of 30 people who received a written guarantee that they would not be sent to the war zone to take part in military operations. According to information cited by the Commission, 17 members of the group were killed on the front line, five remain missing and one managed to return after being wounded.
The Commission said the similarities between recruitment methods across different countries and regions, the repeated use of the same employment promises, and the coordination of travel and administrative procedures pointed to an organised pattern of recruitment.
Intermediaries and Companies Arrange Travel Before Handing Recruits Over to the Russian Military
The report said the intermediaries responsible for recruiting individuals operated in their countries of origin, transit countries or within Russia itself. Some used companies presenting themselves as legitimate recruitment, tourism or travel businesses.
These intermediaries arranged visas, airline tickets and accommodation and organised the transfer of groups of men to Russia. In some cases, they accompanied recruits during their journeys or met them at transit points.
The report noted that some recruits were pressured to travel within days of accepting job offers. Their travel routes passed through several countries, including Bahrain, Brazil, Ethiopia, France, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Oman, Panama, Spain, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates.
In certain cases, recruits were instructed to travel overland to a neighbouring country before flying to Russia, in an effort to avoid detection of the journey’s real purpose at airports.
The commissions paid by recruits to intermediaries for travel arrangements ranged from $400 to $8,000, depending on the region where the recruitment took place. These fees were either paid before departure or deducted later from the promised salaries.
The Commission concluded that these networks did not operate independently. Its investigations revealed a high degree of coordination between intermediaries working in different countries and Russian authorities.
Passports and Phones Confiscated, Recruits Forced to Sign Russian-Language Military Contracts
According to the report, a new phase of exploitation began after recruits arrived at Russian airports. Many lost their freedom of movement and were transferred to temporary accommodation before being handed over to the Russian armed forces.
The Commission said the men were forced, within hours or days of their arrival, to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence committing them to one year of military service.
The contracts were written in Russian, a language most recruits did not speak, leaving them unable to understand the terms they were agreeing to. In many cases, phones, passports and driving licences were confiscated, limiting their ability to contact their families or seek assistance.
The report cited testimonies from recruits who said they did not realise they had become members of the Russian armed forces until they signed the contracts or arrived at military camps and began training.
In some cases, those who refused to sign were threatened with violence or death, according to testimonies collected by the Commission. One recruit said direct threats had forced him to sign, while others described sustained pressure that made refusing military service or leaving the camp extremely difficult.
The Commission also documented cases involving foreign nationals who were already in Russia for various reasons. They included people detained by police or held in immigration detention centres, as well as individuals serving prison sentences, who were pressured to join the army.
In some cases, detainees were told that signing a contract could spare them prosecution, punishment or mistreatment. Others said they had been promised civilian jobs before discovering that they were being sent to the front line.
Recruits Deployed to the Front Lines, with Many Killed or Reported Missing
The report said foreign recruits were deployed to different parts of the front line in Ukraine.
Their assigned duties included digging trenches, securing positions, transporting food and water, and collecting the bodies of the dead. Some were also required to participate in assaults and advance towards enemy lines.
According to testimonies, some recruits faced punishment, beatings and death threats. They were also forced to remain for extended periods without food or access to showers, in conditions the Commission described as extremely dangerous.
The report noted that large numbers of recruits were killed or went missing shortly after being sent to the front, while others were wounded or captured.
The consequences extended beyond the recruits themselves. Their families faced major difficulties in finding out what had happened to their sons or husbands. Some searched for them through social media networks, contacted other recruits or approached official authorities.
The Commission also documented cases in which families were unable to recover the bodies of their relatives or obtain reliable information about their fate. They suffered psychological and financial harm as a result of disappearances, deaths and injuries.
The report said some families received no information about their relatives from the authorities and learned of their deaths or capture through the media, social media platforms or people who had served alongside them in military units.
Commission Draws on Hundreds of Testimonies, Official Documents and Military Contracts
The Commission said its investigation into recruitment practices relied on 245 testimonies from recruits who had been captured by Ukrainian authorities or managed to return to their home countries. It also collected accounts from family members, legal representatives, local officials, researchers and journalists.
The evidence included invitation letters, travel itineraries, airline tickets, visas, hotel bookings and documents relating to entry into Russia. The Commission also obtained copies of recruitment contracts and official documents issued by the Russian Ministry of Defence confirming that certain individuals had served in the armed forces.
The Commission said it had sent 69 communications to countries concerning the recruitment of foreign nationals, but had received only six responses.
The report noted that governments in several countries had acknowledged that their citizens had been recruited through deceptive methods.
Some countries launched investigations into recruitment networks, arrested individuals suspected of involvement and introduced measures to strengthen airport monitoring and warn the public about suspicious job offers.
By contrast, the report said Russian officials had publicly denied on several occasions that illegal recruitment operations were taking place.
The Commission stressed that, among the cases it examined, it found no evidence that foreign nationals had been recruited into the Ukrainian armed forces through deception or coercion. The individuals interviewed in connection with those cases said they had joined voluntarily, had been given the opportunity to have their contracts translated and understood, and had received their salaries.
Commission Calls on Moscow to End Coercive Recruitment and Investigate Those Responsible
In its final recommendations, the Commission called on Russia to stop attacks on civilian energy facilities and infrastructure essential to the population, and to comply with international humanitarian law.
This includes distinguishing between military and civilian targets, observing the principle of proportionality and taking all feasible precautions to minimise harm to civilians.
It also called for an end to the recruitment of foreign nationals, whether outside Russia or within its territory, through inducement, deception, coercion or any other means that undermine free and informed consent.
The Commission urged Russia to release foreign nationals who had been trafficked and were still serving in its armed forces, and to provide them with appropriate protection and assistance.
It also called for cooperation with their countries of origin to address the circumstances of those who had been wounded, killed, reported missing or captured, with victims’ families involved in decisions concerning their fate.
The recommendations emphasised the need to investigate and prosecute those responsible for recruitment operations, whether they were operating inside or outside Russia, and to strengthen cooperation between national authorities and relevant international mechanisms.
The Commission also called on countries whose citizens had been victimised to strengthen anti-trafficking legislation, develop public awareness campaigns to prevent people from being lured by deceptive job offers, and cooperate with Russian and Ukrainian authorities to find legal and humanitarian solutions for recruits who had fallen victim to deception or coercion.
Regarding individuals who became prisoners of war after being recruited through these methods, the Commission recommended that Ukraine cooperate with their countries of origin to determine appropriate arrangements for their transfer or repatriation.
Such arrangements should take into account the protections provided under international humanitarian law and assess the risks individuals might face upon their return.
The report stressed that people who had been trafficked and subsequently forced to sign military contracts should not automatically be treated as mercenaries.
The Commission concluded that, after signing the contracts and joining the Russian armed forces, they became members of the Russian military. In its legal assessment, the protections of the Third Geneva Convention relating to prisoners of war therefore apply to them if they are captured or surrender.
Two Areas of Investigation Reveal the War’s Impact on Infrastructure and Individuals
The report brings together two distinct areas of investigation that are linked by the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war for civilians and human rights.
The first documents how repeated attacks on energy facilities exposed millions of people to freezing temperatures and disrupted access to healthcare and other essential services.
The Commission concluded that some of these attacks constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The second reveals cross-border recruitment networks that exploited people’s need for work and their difficult economic circumstances, then subjected them, according to the Commission’s findings, to military service through deception or coercion before sending them to the front lines.
The report makes clear that the consequences extend beyond those killed or wounded. They also affect the families of missing and captured recruits, as well as the countries from which the recruits originate.
These countries face challenges in investigating recruitment networks, determining the fate of their citizens and providing victims with legal and consular protection.
The Commission emphasised that addressing these issues requires an end to practices found to violate international law, accountability for those responsible, and stronger international cooperation to prevent the exploitation of citizens through deceptive job offers and safeguard the rights of people who have fallen victim to forced recruitment or human trafficking.
Source: Amman net