Dominican Republic registers 22 cases involving citizens in Russia’s war — The Rio Times
In the Dominican Republic, authorities have registered 22 cases involving citizens who became involved in the war of the Russian Federation — the aggressor state — against Ukraine after travelling for jobs presented to them as civilian work. Since 5 October, relatives of these people have been outside the National Congress building in Santo Domingo, demanding that they be brought home, The Rio Times reports.
Foreign Minister Viktor Bisono on 9 October called the situation extremely serious and said that citizens’ lives were in danger. According to him, the number of officially registered cases rose from 20 to 22. The data are based on complaints from relatives, accounts from people who returned from Russia, and reports from those who remain there.
Accounts from families
According to relatives, the men were offered technical or security jobs abroad. After arriving, they signed documents whose contents they could not read and later found themselves undergoing military training.
Jacqueline Felix told the newspaper Hoy that her 33-year-old son, Maikol Enrique Campusano Felix, had been promised work as a mechanic, with Panama initially mentioned as the destination. She said that he is now undergoing training in Russia and is asking for help to leave. She also said that the men had called relatives and reported that they could be sent to the front. This claim has not been independently confirmed.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Another relative, Trinidad Campusano, said that her 52-year-old brother Hector had travelled for work welding trucks. According to her, the man, who has back and leg problems, was sent for training.
Contacts with the Russian side
The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had been warning citizens about such offers since 24 September. The ministry stated that the men signed individual contracts on Russian territory, but some of them and their relatives said that the actual conditions did not match the work that had been promised.
Bisono raised the issue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on 24 September in New York during the UN General Assembly. On 6 October, two deputy ministers handed Russian Ambassador Sergey Seredin materials concerning 20 citizens. Seredin had previously stated that Russian legislation allows foreigners to join the military and called such people volunteers.
The Dominican Foreign Ministry said it is providing consular assistance, including helping to locate people and supporting their return home. At the same time, Bisono acknowledged that the state’s capabilities are limited because the contracts were concluded by private individuals.
