BBC investigation reveals how one woman lured foreign men to fight on Russia's front line

A human-interest investigation has revealed how a Russian woman allegedly lured hundreds of foreign men into fighting on the front line of Russia's war in Ukraine, often under false promises of safe jobs, high pay and citizenship. The findings are based on an in-depth investigation by the BBC, which tracked recruitment patterns, gathered testimonies from fighters and their families, and analysed online evidence.

At the centre of the investigation is Polina Alexandrovna Azarnykh, a 40-year-old former teacher, whom several foreign recruits accuse of deceiving them into joining the Russian military. One of them is Omar, a 26-year-old Syrian construction worker, who says he was promised non-combat work and Russian citizenship but instead found himself deployed to active combat zones after minimal training.

In a disturbing video received by Omar while he was deployed in Ukraine, flames can be seen burning the edges of his passport. An unseen woman's voice says in Russian, "It's burning well." Omar says he immediately recognised the voice as Azarnykh's.

Speaking to the BBC under a pseudonym for his safety, Omar said Azarnykh had demanded $3,000 (£2,227) from him to ensure he remained in a non-combat role. When he refused to pay, he claims he was sent to the front line after just 10 days of training and later punished by having his passport destroyed.

"We were tricked… this woman is a con artist and a liar," Omar said.

He added that when he attempted to refuse a combat mission, his commanders threatened him with death or imprisonment.

A BBC Eye investigation found that Azarnykh used a Telegram channel with around 21,000 subscribers to recruit young men, mainly from economically struggling countries such as Syria, Egypt and Yemen. Her posts promoted "one-year contracts" for "military service" and asked applicants to send copies of their passports.

The BBC World Service identified nearly 500 cases in which Azarnykh issued so-called invitation documents that allowed men to enter Russia and enlist. Recruits and their families told the BBC that she misled them into believing they would avoid combat roles, failed to explain that contracts could be extended indefinitely, and threatened those who complained. 

Azarnykh has rejected the allegations.

Twelve families told the BBC that young men recruited by her are now dead or missing.

Russia has increasingly relied on expanded conscription, prisoner recruitment and generous financial incentives to sustain its war effort in Ukraine. According to Nato, more than one million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, including around 25,000 killed in December 2025 alone.

BBC News Russian analysis, based on obituaries and public death records, suggests that Russian troop losses rose faster last year than at any previous point in the war. While exact figures are unclear, BBC Russian estimates that at least 20,000 foreign nationals — including recruits from Cuba, Nepal and North Korea — may have joined Russia's military.

Omar said his ordeal began in March 2024, when he arrived at Moscow airport with 14 other Syrians after being promised civilian work guarding oil facilities. The group later realised they had been scammed and were left stranded with little money. Searching online, they found Azarnykh's Telegram channel and contacted her.

"She met us at the airport within hours and took us to a recruitment centre," Omar said, adding that contracts were written in Russian, which none of the men understood. Their passports were taken with promises of citizenship.

Within weeks, Omar said he was deployed to the front line. "We're 100% going to die here," he said in one voice message sent to the BBC. In another, he described constant shelling: "If you don't die from the explosion, you'll die from the debris landing on you."

"Dead bodies everywhere… I've stepped on dead bodies, God forgive me," he said in June 2024. "If someone dies… they put him in a rubbish bag and throw him next to a tree."

After nearly a year, Omar learned that a 2022 Russian decree allows military contracts to be automatically extended until the war ends. "If they renew the contract, I'm screwed – oh God," he said. His contract was extended.

The BBC also spoke to Yousef, an Egyptian man whose brother Mohammed travelled to Russia to study in 2022. Yousef said a woman named Polina offered his brother help, including work linked to the military.

"She promised him housing and citizenship… monthly expenses," Yousef said. "Suddenly he was sent to Ukraine. He found himself fighting."

Mohammed's last call home was in January 2024. Nearly a year later, the family received images of his body via Telegram. They later learned he had been killed months earlier.

Another Syrian recruit, Habib, who spoke under a pseudonym, told the BBC that Azarnykh had become "one of the most important recruiters" for the Russian army.

"The Arabs who are coming are dying immediately," he said. "Some people lost their minds – it's hard to see dead bodies."

Habib said Azarnykh promised recruits citizenship, safety and good salaries. "But once you sign a contract here, there's no way you can leave," he said.

He added, "Polina would take the men, knowing that they were going to die." He claimed she received payments for each recruit, though the BBC could not independently verify this.

In later Telegram posts, Azarnykh acknowledged that recruits would take part in combat. In one video, she said: "You all understood well that you were going to war… Nothing happens for free."

In a separate voice message obtained by the BBC, Azarnykh threatened a recruit's mother using expletives, warning: "I'll find you and all your children."

When contacted by the BBC, Azarnykh rejected the allegations, described the reporting as "not professional" and warned of defamation action. She also said: "Our respected Arabs can stick their accusations up their arses."

The BBC contacted Russia's Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment but received no response.

Analysts say recruiters like Azarnykh are part of a wider informal network used by Russia to maintain troop numbers. Kateryna Stepanenko of the Institute for the Study of War told the BBC that local authorities have offered cash incentives of up to $4,000 (£2,970) to those who recruit soldiers, including foreigners.

Omar has since managed to return to Syria after obtaining Russian citizenship. Two of the Syrians he served with are now dead, according to their families.

"She sees us as numbers or money – she doesn't see us as people," Omar said. "We won't forgive her for what she did to us."