Peruvian man speaks about Putin’s army: “We’re thrown into meat-grinder assaults”
Russia is ramping up recruitment in Latin America, luring foreigners with promises of well-paid work. One such case is that of Peruvian national Carlos Lenski Davila Vela, who ended up fighting in the war against Ukraine, reports Politico.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/09/25/latin-america-russia-ukraine-war-peru-01091907
According to the Peruvian Foreign Ministry, 459 citizens are officially known to have joined the Russian armed forces. Eleven of them have died, 114 are listed as missing, and three have been taken prisoner by Ukraine.
The scheme begins with online recruitment and promises of high wages. Foreigners are sent to Russia under the guise of tourists; once there, their documents may be confiscated, and they are sent to military service. Some are forced to buy their own gear.
Davila Vela recounted that he was wounded just four days after arriving at the front. He said that most of the Latin Americans he met on the front lines had either died or gone missing.
“Foreigners are thrown into assaults like cannon fodder,” the Peruvian warns on social media.
He managed to escape Russia by paying guides and subsequently returned to Lima with the assistance of the Peruvian embassy. Meanwhile, the relatives of other recruits are protesting and demanding information about their loved ones.
The Russian embassy in Peru maintains that everyone who went to fight did so as a “volunteer.”