A comprehensive BBC Eye investigation has uncovered a sophisticated recruitment operation masterminded by Polina Alexandrovna Azarnykh, a 40-year-old former teacher from Russia’s Voronezh region, who uses Telegram to lure vulnerable men from developing nations into Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine under false pretenses.
Operating through a Telegram channel with 21,000 subscribers, Azarnykh has issued approximately 490 invitation documents to men primarily from Syria, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, Iraq, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria over the past year. Her recruitment strategy targets economically disadvantaged individuals, promising lucrative contracts with monthly salaries equivalent to $2,500, sign-up bonuses of $5,000, and expedited Russian citizenship.
The investigation reveals a disturbing pattern of deception. Multiple recruits and their families report being misled about combat avoidance, contract duration, and actual deployment conditions. Omar (pseudonym), a 26-year-old Syrian construction worker, detailed how Azarnykh promised non-combat roles in exchange for $3,000 payments from sign-up bonuses, only to receive minimal training before being deployed to frontlines with inadequate preparation.
Twelve families have reported young men recruited by Azarnykh as either deceased or missing. The BBC has documented cases including Mohammed, an Egyptian student struggling with tuition fees who was killed shortly after deployment, and numerous Syrians who discovered their contracts could be automatically extended under a 2022 Russian decree until the conflict concludes.
Habib (pseudonym), another Syrian recruit who collaborated with Azarnykh, confirmed she received approximately $300 per recruit from military authorities. He described the devastating psychological impact on foreign fighters unprepared for combat: ‘The Arabs who are coming are dying immediately. Some people lost their minds – it’s hard to see dead bodies.’
The recruitment scheme reflects Russia’s broader strategy to address substantial military losses. NATO estimates indicate over one million Russian casualties since the 2022 invasion, with 25,000 fatalities in December 2025 alone. Research suggests at least 20,000 foreigners may have enlisted, including from Cuba, Nepal, and North Korea.
Despite mounting evidence, Azarnykh has denied all allegations, threatening defamation proceedings against the BBC. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense have not responded to requests for comment.