Russian 'recruiter' using Telegram to lure foreign men into fighting on frontlines
Polina Alexandrovna Azarnykh is accused of helping foreigners sign up to fight for Russia with lucrative contracts
A Russian woman has been accused of using Telegram to recruit foreign fighters, deploying them to the frontlines in the battle against Ukraine as Putin attempts to boost numbers.
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Polina Alexandrovna Azarnykh, 40, is accused of assisting foreigners hoping to sign up to fight for Russia in exchange for vast sums of money and the potential of Russian citizenship.
Azarnykh, a former teacher, is said to use a channel on messaging app Telegram - widely used across both Russia and Ukraine - to lure young men, often from poorer communities around the world, into joining Russia's military machine.
The young men hunting for work are enticed by the promise of vast sums, but more often than not, the victims find themselves trapped in a foreign war zone.
Often from Syria and Egypt, young men are lured into signing contracts written entirely in Russian in a bid to cash in.
Read more: Russia using Africans as cannon fodder - as video emerges of solider with landmine strapped to chest
The fighter claims that under a month after getting in contact with Azarnykh, he was sent into battle with just 10 days of training under his belt.
As a result, he refused to pay the fee demanded by the 'recruiter' - defiance that ultimately saw Azarnykh burn his passport, reports the BBC.
Once on the frontlines, refusing to take part in a mission resulted in commanders threatening to kill or jail him.
"We were tricked… this woman is a con artist and a liar," he remarks.
One anonymous victim lured into signing such a contract claims he was promised that a payment of $3,000 (£2,227) to Azarnykh would ensure he was placed in a non-combat role.
With jobs across Syria scarce and low paid, the lure of lucrative pay away from the frontlines was undeniable.
A quick online search directed him to Azarnykh's Telegram channel - contact that led him to fly to Russia.
His first contact with Azarnykh came when he was broke and found himself stranded in Moscow Airport in March 2024, alongside 14 other Syrians.
From there, the group took the train to a recruitment centre in Bryansk, located in the West of Russia.
One Syrian claims the promised jobs in question were not linked to military operations, instead civilian-based roles such as guarding oil facilities in Russia.
Posting upbeat messages, Azarnykh is regularly seen to offer "one-year contracts" for "military service" on her Telegram channel, according to reports.
The men enquiring are then required to send passport details in order to enlist.
She met them at the airport and within hours, the group were travelling by train to a recruitment centre in Bryansk, western Russia, he says.
There, he says, he was offered a one-year contracts with the Russian army, a monthly salary equivalent to $2,500 (£1,856).
The job also offered a sign-up bonus of around $5,000 (£3,711).
The recruiter was then seen to take away passports after contracts were signed, promising to arrange Russian citizenship - a promise that was never fulfilled.
Azarnykh denies all allegations against her, according to the BBC.
According to data from the frontlines, more than one million of its soldiers have been killed or wounded since the war in Ukraine began in 2022.
It comes as Russia faces fresh accusations of using African recruits as disposable frontline fighters in its war in Ukraine.
It comes after footage surfaced appearing to show a foreign soldier with a landmine strapped to his chest.