Dominican nationals claim false job offers led to forced service in Russia's Ukraine war

A video posted online shows three unnamed Dominican Republic citizens asserting they were deceived by false employment offers in Russia and subsequently forced into military service against Ukraine. They recount being treated like slaves, facing deadly drone strikes, and claim a survival rate of only two per hundred soldiers. Dominican Foreign Relations Minister Víctor Ito Bisonó confirmed that roughly 30 Dominicans have signed contracts to join the war and that the government is consulting Russian legal counsel to seek solutions.

Local officials noted that recruitment scams in the La Romana region promised jobs such as cooks, welders, and mechanics before the men were examined and sent to the front. The governments of Panama, Peru and India have already secured the return of their nationals who fought for Russia, and the video urges President Luis Abinader to act similarly. The episode raises concerns about illegal recruitment and the vulnerability of foreign volunteers in the ongoing conflict.