Bangladeshis seeking jobs in Russia forced to join war on Ukraine: Report

Associated Press investigation finds workers lured to Russia under promise of civilian work are thrust into the nearly four-year war.Published On 27 Jan 2026A labour recruiter persuaded Maksudur Rahman to leave the tropical warmth of his hometown in Bangladesh and travel thousands of miles to frigid Russia for a job as a janitor.Within weeks, he found himself on the front lines of Russia’s war in Ukraine.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Why are South Asians going to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war?list 2 of 4‘Waiting for a call from Daddy’: Sri Lankans die in Russia’s Ukraine warlist 3 of 4Jordan demands Russia stop recruiting citizens after two killed in fightinglist 4 of 4Ukraine says over 1,400 Africans recruited to fight for Russia in warend of listAn investigation by The Associated Press news agency published on Tuesday found that Bangladeshi workers were lured to Russia under the false promise of civilian work, only to be thrust into the nearly four-year war. Many were threatened with violence, imprisonment or death.AP spoke with three Bangladeshi men who escaped from the Russian Military, including Rahman, who said that after arriving in Moscow, he and a group of fellow Bangladeshi workers were told to sign Russian documents that turned out to be military contracts.They were taken to an army camp for training in drone warfare techniques, medical evacuation procedures and basic combat skills using heavy weapons.Rahman protested, complaining that this was not the work he agreed to do. A Russian commander offered a stark reply through a translation app: “Your agent sent you here. We bought you.”Rahman said the workers in his group were threatened with 10-year jail terms and beaten. “They’d say, ‘Why don’t you work? Why are you crying?’ and kick us,” said Rahman, who escaped and returned home after seven months.The families of three other Bangladeshi men who are missing said their loved ones shared similar accounts with relatives.AP said the workers’ narratives were corroborated by documents, including travel papers, Russian Military contracts, medical and police reports, and photos. The documents show the visas granted to Bangladeshi workers, their injuries sustained during battles and evidence of their participation in the war.