Russia is actively recruiting Belarusians to fight in the war, offering them money and the expungement of their criminal records

Russia has stepped up its recruitment of Belarusian citizens to fight in the war, offering them large cash payments and other benefits. Among the promises are assistance with loans, “expungement of criminal records,” and expedited acquisition of Russian citizenship.

Russia’s campaign to recruit Belarusians has become one of the key tools for replenishing its military ranks. This is facilitated, in particular, by Minsk’s economic dependence, the political vulnerability of Alexander Lukashenko’s regime, and legal uncertainty.

It is noted that in recent months, a large number of advertisements have appeared on the Belarusian segment of the internet offering the country’s citizens the opportunity to sign a contract with the Russian army. Such advertisements are circulating on Telegram channels, in Viber chat rooms, and on local forum pages.

Investigations by journalists from Kremlin-controlled media outlets have documented a sharp increase in the number of posts offering contracts with the Russian army. The human rights initiative “Belpol” regularly cites examples of advertisements in which recruiters use Belarusian phone numbers to build trust.

The publication reported that in such ads, Belarusians are promised huge payments, help with loans, “expungement of criminal records,” and expedited acquisition of Russian citizenship. In one of the ads, Belarusians are offered a contract with a one-time payment of 4.35 million rubles and the quick issuance of a Russian passport.

Some ads mention “resolving legal issues,” but the publication noted that participating in an armed conflict abroad falls under the article on mercenary activity in the Belarusian Criminal Code, which provides for imprisonment for up to seven years. The recruiters, however, insist that this service is “legal.”

During their investigations, journalists and human rights activists found that the majority of those recruited are men from small towns and villages—people with low incomes who are in debt or have run-ins with the law. According to them, many of those recruited are unaware of the legal consequences, while some are simply looking for quick money, not realizing that they will be sent to the most dangerous sections of the front lines.

How Belarusians Are Recruited

The publication reported that the recruitment scheme is simple and effective. A person sees an ad on social media and messages a recruiter using a Belarusian phone number. They are then told about pay, benefits, and the supposed “legality” of the service.

After that, the Belarusian citizen is asked to quickly complete the paperwork and travel to Russia—most often via Smolensk or Pskov. There, they sign a contract and become a member of the Russian Armed Forces. The publication emphasized that at this stage, there is practically no turning back.
 

Moreover, journalists noted that for those who agree to sign a contract with the Russian army, the consequences can be tragic. In addition to the risk of death, they face criminal liability in Belarus, the possible loss of citizenship, or restrictions on their rights.

Euronews reports on this.

Russia is mass-recruiting foreigners for the war against Ukraine through Western platforms.