Ukraine War25 September, 20262 min read
Dominican Republic Warns Citizens About Fake Russia Job Offers Linked To Ukraine War
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Dominican Republic warns citizens about fake job offers in Russia linked to Russia-Ukraine war. Offers allegedly recruit Dominicans for participation in the Ukraine conflict; consular help offered.
9 outlets told this the same way.
Dominicans warned
The Dominican Republic warned its citizens about fake job offers in Russia that the Foreign Ministry said are used to recruit fighters to participate in the war against Ukraine. The Foreign Ministry urged Dominicans to exercise caution if they receive job offers in Russia and advised extreme caution when dealings are conducted exclusively through digital means or via intermediaries whose identities or documents cannot be verified.
Juan Carlos Avila Espiat, 28, posted Instagram videos wearing combat gear and carrying a rifle in various front-line locations in Russia, and the videos received thousands of likes. Avila Espiat later stated that he was shot in the leg during a drone attack by Ukraine and a land mine explosion, and Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez expressed concern to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during their meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Recruitment claims
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of relying on fighters from 47 different countries to fight against Ukraine. Agence France-Presse reported that citizens, especially from African countries, said they faced forced conscription into the Russian army after being lured with promises of job opportunities in Russia.
In Latin America, a Colombian news channel reported last month that Moscow recruited former Colombian soldiers to support its war efforts, and Moscow denied the claim. The Dominican Foreign Ministry’s warning came as the case of Avila Espiat gained attention on social media, with the Foreign Ministry urging citizens to take extra precautions about employment proposals involving travel to Russia.
Consular help and risk
The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) issued an official alert on September 25, 2026, saying fraudulent job offers aim to move Dominicans to Russia and subsequently link them to hostilities between Russia and Ukraine. MIREX urged the public to verify the source of the offer, the identification of the employers, and the terms of the contract, and it pledged to provide consular assistance to Dominicans who find themselves at risk or destitute abroad due to deceptive offers.
The Human Rights Committee (CDDH) investigations shared with Infobae documented that the recruitment scheme had been carried out since May, and the CDDH said more than 200 Dominicans may have been recruited under opaque or deceptive circumstances. MIREX also said it would initiate diplomatic efforts with international organizations and entities to facilitate the safe and expedited return of those affected to the Dominican Republic, after mothers and families requested support to locate children and achieve repatriation of Dominicans who had disappeared abroad.