Russia recruited 459 Peruvians for the war: 11 dead, 114 missing

Relatives of the missing are demanding information from Russia about their loved ones, and Lima has enlisted the Red Cross to help search for them.

Peru’s Foreign Ministry has officially reported for the first time about the dead and captured citizens who were recruited into the Russian army. The agency specified that 459 citizens of the country joined the Russian army to participate in the war against Ukraine. Among them, 11 died, 114 are considered missing, and three more were captured by the Ukrainian military.

https://efe.com/mundo/2026-08-09/peru-muerte-desaparicion-connacionales-guerra-rusia-ucrania/

This is the first time that the Peruvian government has published data on the dead citizens who fought on the side of Russia.

Some of the Peruvians, according to the Foreign Ministry, could have ended up in the Russian army through fake job offers and human trafficking networks. The agency urged citizens not to accept dubious employment abroad and reminded them of the need for government permission to perform military service in another country.

Peru has already helped 31 citizens return from Russia: 28 of them returned home, and three others decided to stay in Europe.

Peruvian law enforcement agencies are also dealing with the problem. The families of the recruits filed complaints about possible human trafficking back in April 2026, but according to them, the recruiters who fraudulently sent people to Russia are still at large.

Peru has sent diplomatic notes to the Russian side regarding its citizens, but according to the Foreign Ministry, it has not received a response. Peru has also asked the International Committee of the Red Cross for help in searching for and locating the missing Peruvians.

“Foreign mercenaries of the Russian Federation may exceed the armies of some European countries”: the Coordination Headquarters named their number

Russia is systematically recruiting foreigners to participate in the war against Ukraine. According to data published in May, 28 thousand citizens from 135 countries have already been recruited into the Russian army. People are lured with promises of work and high salaries, and in some cases, deception and financial pressure are used.

Russia is especially actively looking for new fighters in Africa. As of May 1, at least 2,965 citizens of African countries fought in its troops, and in 2026 Moscow planned to recruit another 18.5 thousand foreigners. Recruitment in Cuba is of a separate scale – up to 15 thousand Cubans may be in the Russian army.

Source: https://zn.ua/ukr/war/rosija-zaverbuvala-459-peruantsiv-na-vijnu-11-zahinuli-114-znikli.html