Peru's Public Ministry announced an investigation into the alleged illegal recruitment of more than 300 Peruvian citizens by Russian authorities, who prosecutors say were sent to the front lines of Russia's war against Ukraine under false pretenses.
The Peruvian Public Ministry held a meeting Friday with families of the alleged victims to brief them on investigative progress. The session was led by senior prosecutor Rocío Gala Gálvez, national coordinator of specialized prosecutors handling human trafficking crimes.
According to authorities, the recruitment operated through deceptive labor offers. Prosecutors said the men were told they would receive employment in Russia but were instead sent to combat zones in Ukraine.
The investigation encompasses 22 open cases involving more than 300 Peruvian nationals. One case file, containing 202 victims, is being handled by the Specialized Prosecutor's Office Against Organized Crime. The remaining 21 cases are under the jurisdiction of Specialized Prosecutors' Offices for Human Trafficking Crimes.
In early August, families of the alleged recruits gathered outside the Russian embassy in Lima to protest. That same month, Peru's Foreign Ministry stated that more than 450 Peruvians had been incorporated into Russian military forces. The ministry reported that at least eleven had died and more than one hundred had disappeared.
The Public Ministry detailed the investigative steps taken so far and provided updates on the status of the cases during Friday's meeting with families. Prosecutors said they are working to clarify the alleged recruitment and subsequent transfer of the Peruvian citizens.