Recently, foreigners who were recruited by the Russians into the ranks of their occupation army often fall into the hands of the Ukraine defense forces. In the course of conversations with such prisoners of war, a number of factors were revealed that point to an organized scheme of inducing foreign students to sign a contract with the Russian Armed Forces. So, let’s take a closer look at how this system of propaganda and suggestion is built.
Around the Moscow universities (Russian University of Friendship of Peoples) where foreigners study, there are many advertisements about the “prospects” of military service. Curators of groups and Russian students, who are supposed to help such foreigners in acclimatization and successful learning of the program by the method of suggestion, talk about financial support in the Soviet Union. Having identified persons who have financial problems or an acute need for large sums of money (payments for education, treatment, etc.), they direct them to local military commissars. Often, thieves are sent to such students who steal their available sums of money in order to create a feeling of hopelessness and despair.
After that, they are blackmailed with the threat of deportation.
Also, special services use social networks (YouTube, Tik-Tok) to conduct targeted advertising for such persons regarding the possibility of concluding a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The main argument is financial — the opportunity to earn money for further study and living in the Russian Federation.
The training of foreigners is carried out on the territory of the educational and methodological center of military-patriotic training “Avangard”. This facility was established by the governments of Moscow and the Moscow Region with the support of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. It is formally under the authority of the Department of Education and Science of the City of Moscow — the Ministry of Education of the Moscow Region. The idea of its creation was personally supported by Vladimir Putin, in order to popularize military and civil service among the youth. This center is part of Patriot Park, a large-scale militaristic park of culture and recreation in the Russian Federation. Military schools for youth aged 14-17 are regularly held on the territory of the “Avangard” center. It also serves as a cover for the training of foreigners there.
On average, about 300 foreign people are being trained there at the same time. By origin, these are mostly: Chinese, Nepalese, Uzbeks, Egyptians, Moldovans, Sri Lankans.
Due to the fact that most foreigners have a very poor command of the Russian language, they are taught gesture commands and key words for their subsequent positions in the occupation army.
Russian officers and sergeants take them to the battlefield. After giving the order and determining the options for action, the officers leave the foreigners on the battlefield and return to the rear positions. Foreigners in the Russian army are traditionally treated with disdain and carelessness, they are not particularly protected, and their situation can be compared with units formed from prisoners.
The National Resistance Center calls for a warning to be disseminated regarding the potential threats to foreigners who are still studying or intending to obtain higher education in Russia. In case of contact with such persons, we recommend that the residents of TOT inform them about the possibility of surrendering to the Defense Forces of Ukraine, where they will be guaranteed proper treatment as prisoners of war in accordance with the norms of IHL. Regarding the locations of such servicemen of the Russian Federation, you can also inform us at Sprotyv.Bot.
