The United Kingdom has sanctioned a Russian national, Alexandrovna Polina Azarnykh, over allegations that she orchestrated the recruitment of Nigerians and other foreign nationals to fight for Russia in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
British authorities announced that Azarnykh was sanctioned on May 5 under the Global Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons Sanctions Regulations 2025, accusing her of facilitating the movement of foreign recruits through Russia for deployment in the war.
According to the UK government, the 40-year-old allegedly coordinated the travel of individuals from Nigeria, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Syria, Yemen and Côte d’Ivoire, among others, as part of efforts aimed at supporting Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine.
The sanctions imposed on her include an asset freeze, a travel ban and disqualification from serving as a company director.
A report by the BBC had earlier alleged that Azarnykh, a former teacher, operated a Telegram channel with more than 21,000 followers through which she recruited young men from Africa and the Middle East into the Russian military. The report claimed she issued invitation letters that enabled the recruits to enter Russia before signing military contracts.
Several recruits and their relatives alleged that they were lured with promises of Russian citizenship, housing and lucrative salaries, only to discover they had been enlisted for combat duties. Some also accused her of misleading them about the nature of the assignments and threatening those who questioned the arrangement, allegations she reportedly denied.
One Syrian national identified as Omar told the BBC that he and others were promised a monthly salary of $2,500 and a $5,000 sign-on bonus, adding that they were assured they would not be deployed to the battlefield.
Meanwhile, human rights organisations, including the International Federation for Human Rights and Truth Hounds, said Russia had recruited about 27,000 foreign nationals from 130 countries since 2022. The groups alleged that many of the recruits, including migrants, students and detainees, were deceived or coerced and may qualify as victims of human trafficking.
The report added that the growing reliance on foreign fighters has become part of Russia’s war strategy, with concerns mounting over the treatment and exploitation of vulnerable individuals recruited from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
