The Russian army has recruited over 27,000 foreigners to participate in the war against Ukraine. This figure is provided by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. For many residents of the poorest regions of the world, the salary promised by the Russian military becomes the main motivation. Cuban Yoan Viondi Mendoza agreed to work in Russia precisely because of the money. He was promised 2,000 dollars a month. For Cuba, where the average salary is only 20 dollars, this is a huge amount. Yoan's story was told to DW by his brother Michael Duro, who lives in the United States. Yoan wanted to emigrate to the States, but financial and bureaucratic difficulties hindered him. "Yoan called me and said - I found a way out. He told me about a project in Russia," says Michael. He tried to dissuade his brother, but it didn’t work. Yoan was sent to the front, from where he tried to escape. Later, his name appeared on the list of the deceased published by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Many foreigners are deceived: they are promised jobs in construction, security, logistics, and agriculture. This happened to Arman Mandol from Bangladesh. He was told that he would work as a packer in a warehouse. He entered Russia through Saudi Arabia on a tourist visa. He was forced to sign a contract in Russian, which he could not even read. Arman recounts that in the Russian army, he and other foreigners were treated very poorly. "When we went on a mission, we were always sent ahead, while they stayed behind. We were used as a human shield - pushed right into battle," he says. The situation is attracting more and more attention: relatives of the recruited foreigners are taking to the streets to protest - from Nepal to Peru. Leaders of countries, such as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are raising this issue in talks with Putin. According to media reports, in February 2026, Russia limited the recruitment of citizens from a number of 'friendly' countries. The stop list has not been officially published.