Russia recruits Belarusian citizens for war through social media

As reported by Ukrinform, according to Polskie Radio, advertisements for enlistment in the Russian army were posted on the websites Jobs in Brest and Jobs in Pinsk but were later removed.

Mercenaries are offered a one-time payment equivalent to 470,000 rubles and up to nearly 6 million rubles for a year of service, depending on the region and tasks performed. Candidates are required to have good health.

The recruits are also promised the prospect of obtaining Russian citizenship. At the same time, recruiters use deception, claiming that those who sign contracts will serve in the rear, not on the frontlines. Some even disguise mercenary work as rotational employment in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

According to Polskie Radio, since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been secretly recruiting Belarusian citizens through draft boards located in Belarus.

“Due to the actions of Lukashenko and his government, the economic situation in Belarus is in decline, so some unemployed men or those previously convicted are willing to go to war... In the end, they either die or are captured, never receiving the promised payments,” the publication states.

As reported by Ukrinform, according to media sources, over 1,500 mercenaries from 48 countries are fighting on Russia’s side against Ukraine.