A young Syrian man has described how he was lured into Russia’s war in Ukraine by a recruiter who later burned his passport after he refused to pay to stay out of combat.
Omar, 26, says he was recruited by Polina Alexandrovna Azarnykh, a Russian woman who runs a Telegram channel offering foreign men contracts with the Russian military. Speaking to the BBC under a false name for his safety, Omar said he was promised safe, well-paid work and even Russian citizenship, but instead found himself fighting on the front line with minimal training.
In a video sent to Omar, flames can be seen consuming his Syrian passport while a woman’s voice in Russian says, “It’s burning well.” Omar says the voice belongs to Azarnykh, who became angry after he refused to pay her $3,000, money she had allegedly demanded to keep him in a non-combat role.
Omar had been stranded in Moscow in March 2024 after a scam left him and other Syrians without work. He says they contacted Azarnykh online and she quickly arranged their transfer to a military recruitment centre. There, they were offered one-year contracts, large sign-up bonuses and monthly salaries far higher than anything available in Syria.
According to Omar, the contracts were in Russian, which the men could not read. Their passports were taken away and they were told citizenship would be arranged. Within weeks, however, Omar says he was sent to the battlefield in Ukraine after just 10 days of training.
Voice messages he sent from the front line describe constant shelling, dead bodies lying in the open and a fear that he would not survive. He also says he later discovered that a 2022 Russian decree allows the army to automatically extend contracts until the war ends, meaning he could not leave when his year was up.
A BBC Eye investigation has identified nearly 500 cases in which Azarnykh issued “invitation” documents used by men from countries including Syria, Egypt and Yemen to enter Russia and enlist. Families of at least 12 men say their relatives who were recruited through her are now dead or missing.
Several recruits told the BBC they believed they would be given support roles or be able to leave after a year, but instead were sent into heavy fighting with little preparation. Some said Azarnykh threatened them or their families when they complained.
Azarnykh, a former teacher from Russia’s Voronezh region, denies the accusations. In recent online posts she has said recruits knew they were going to war and warned that “nothing happens for free”. When contacted by the BBC, she rejected claims of deception and threatened legal action.
Russia has been stepping up recruitment as its losses in Ukraine mount. Nato estimates more than one million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the full-scale invasion in 2022, with about 25,000 killed in December 2025 alone. Analysis by BBC News Russian suggests at least 20,000 foreigners may have joined Russia’s forces.
Experts say informal recruiters like Azarnykh are increasingly being used, often with cash incentives, as traditional recruitment channels struggle to meet demand.
Both Omar and another former recruit, Habib, who worked with Azarnykh, say many foreigners arrived expecting guard or support duties but were quickly sent to the front line. Habib alleges she knew the men faced almost certain death.
Omar has since obtained Russian citizenship and managed to return to Syria. Two men from his group were killed, according to their families. He says he feels betrayed by the person who promised him safety and a future.
“She sees us as numbers or money, not as people,” he said. “We will never forgive what she did to us.”
About the author
Attenborough’s historic gorilla encounter revisited
The most iconic moment in Sir David Attenborough’s broadcasting career came in 1978, during filming in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda, where he had an unexpected close encounter with a family of mountain gorillas. The footage was recorded for the landmark series Life on Earth, and shows Attenborough sitting calmly among playful gorillas in a forest clearing. At one point, a female gorilla studies him closely from just a few feet away, a moment he later described as deeply meaningful and unlike any other interaction he had experienced with wildlife. The original goal of the expedition was scientific: to illustrate how primates use thumbs and fingers to interact with their environment. To achieve this, the crew climbed steep terrain in Rwanda’s volcanic region in search of the then-endangered mountain gorillas. At the time, the species was under severe threat from […]
White House reviews security after DC shooting
The White House is set to conduct an internal review of presidential security procedures following the shooting incident that occurred during the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington. According to senior officials, the review will examine how an armed suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was able to get close to restricted areas inside the venue while President Donald Trump and several cabinet members were present. Allen was eventually subdued by security personnel after a brief exchange of gunfire in which a federal agent was injured but is expected to recover. Despite the breach, Trump has expressed confidence in the United States Secret Service, stating that agents acted effectively to neutralise the threat and secure all high-profile individuals at the event. A senior White House official confirmed that Chief of Staff Susie Wiles will convene a meeting with security […]
Eight children missing after orphanage attack in Kogi
Eight children remain missing after an armed attack on an orphanage in Kogi State, in north-central Nigeria, authorities have confirmed. According to the state’s information commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo, gunmen stormed the unregistered facility on Sunday and abducted 23 children along with the orphanage’s owner. Security forces were able to rescue 15 of the children following what officials described as a rapid and coordinated response. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, security sources indicate the presence of a cell linked to Boko Haram in the area, which has experienced repeated incidents of violence. The commissioner noted that the orphanage was operating without official authorization and was located in a remote area, outside the oversight of relevant authorities. He called on operators of similar institutions to ensure proper registration and coordination with government agencies, particularly given the current security […]
Deadly strikes hit Afghanistan’s Kunar province
Cross-border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated following deadly strikes in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar Province, where at least seven people were killed and dozens injured, according to multiple sources. Among the injured are students and a professor from Kunar University. Taliban authorities reported that around 30 of the wounded were students, while overall casualties reached at least 75 people. Islamabad has denied responsibility for targeting civilian areas, with Pakistan’s information ministry dismissing reports of attacks on the university and nearby residential zones as false. Witnesses described intense bombardments during the incident. A university lecturer said explosions were heard across the campus, while a local journalist reported seeing residents fleeing as the attack unfolded. Afghan officials stated that buildings within the university compound sustained significant damage. There are conflicting accounts regarding the nature of the attack. Taliban […]
Togo : un défilé du 27 avril sous le signe de la sécurité
À Lomé, la Place des Fêtes a servi de cadre au défilé du 27 avril, organisé à l’occasion du 66ᵉ anniversaire de l’indépendance du Togo. Au-delà du caractère cérémoniel, l’événement a mis en lumière l’évolution du pays dans un contexte régional marqué par des défis sécuritaires. La cérémonie a été présidée par Faure Gnassingbé, en sa qualité de chef suprême des armées. Devant lui, des unités des forces armées, de la gendarmerie, de la police ainsi que des corps paramilitaires et civils ont défilé dans un dispositif coordonné, sous les regards d’un public nombreux. Dans un environnement sous-régional marqué par l’instabilité, cette édition du défilé a revêtu une portée particulière. Elle a illustré la capacité des forces de défense à assurer la sécurité nationale et à faire face aux menaces, tout en envoyant un signal de fermeté et de préparation. […]
Le Togo engagé au Tour cycliste du Bénin
Le peloton togolais a pris la route de Cotonou pour participer à la 21ᵉ édition du Tour cycliste international du Bénin, qui se déroule du 27 avril au 3 mai en cinq étapes. La compétition débute par un prologue de 4,80 km, avant le lancement des premières étapes en ligne dès mardi avec un parcours de 126,04 km. Au total, 90 coureurs issus de 14 pays africains — dont le Maroc, l’Algérie, l’Érythrée, le Nigeria, le Ghana, la Côte d’Ivoire, le Burkina Faso, l’Île Maurice, le Bénin et le Togo — ainsi que des équipes de clubs européens, notamment belges et allemands, sont en lice pour le maillot jaune. Le tenant du titre, le Sud-Africain Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg, est absent cette année. Pour l’équipe nationale togolaise, l’objectif est clair : accumuler de l’expérience, évaluer le niveau des coureurs et […]
Related
Attenborough’s historic gorilla encounter revisited
The most iconic moment in Sir David Attenborough’s broadcasting career came in 1978, during filming in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda, where he had an unexpected close encounter with a family of mountain gorillas. The footage was recorded for the landmark series Life on Earth, and shows Attenborough sitting calmly among playful gorillas in a forest clearing. At one point, a female gorilla studies him closely from just a few feet away, a moment he later described as deeply meaningful and unlike any other interaction he had experienced with wildlife. The original goal of the expedition was scientific: to illustrate how primates use thumbs and fingers to interact with their environment. To achieve this, the crew climbed steep terrain in Rwanda’s volcanic region in search of the then-endangered mountain gorillas. At the time, the species was under severe threat from […]
White House reviews security after DC shooting
The White House is set to conduct an internal review of presidential security procedures following the shooting incident that occurred during the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington. According to senior officials, the review will examine how an armed suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was able to get close to restricted areas inside the venue while President Donald Trump and several cabinet members were present. Allen was eventually subdued by security personnel after a brief exchange of gunfire in which a federal agent was injured but is expected to recover. Despite the breach, Trump has expressed confidence in the United States Secret Service, stating that agents acted effectively to neutralise the threat and secure all high-profile individuals at the event. A senior White House official confirmed that Chief of Staff Susie Wiles will convene a meeting with security […]
Eight children missing after orphanage attack in Kogi
Eight children remain missing after an armed attack on an orphanage in Kogi State, in north-central Nigeria, authorities have confirmed. According to the state’s information commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo, gunmen stormed the unregistered facility on Sunday and abducted 23 children along with the orphanage’s owner. Security forces were able to rescue 15 of the children following what officials described as a rapid and coordinated response. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, security sources indicate the presence of a cell linked to Boko Haram in the area, which has experienced repeated incidents of violence. The commissioner noted that the orphanage was operating without official authorization and was located in a remote area, outside the oversight of relevant authorities. He called on operators of similar institutions to ensure proper registration and coordination with government agencies, particularly given the current security […]
Deadly strikes hit Afghanistan’s Kunar province
Cross-border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated following deadly strikes in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar Province, where at least seven people were killed and dozens injured, according to multiple sources. Among the injured are students and a professor from Kunar University. Taliban authorities reported that around 30 of the wounded were students, while overall casualties reached at least 75 people. Islamabad has denied responsibility for targeting civilian areas, with Pakistan’s information ministry dismissing reports of attacks on the university and nearby residential zones as false. Witnesses described intense bombardments during the incident. A university lecturer said explosions were heard across the campus, while a local journalist reported seeing residents fleeing as the attack unfolded. Afghan officials stated that buildings within the university compound sustained significant damage. There are conflicting accounts regarding the nature of the attack. Taliban […]
Trump to meet security chiefs over Iran war strategy
United States President Donald Trump is set to hold a high level meeting with his top national security team to review the war with Iran and discuss the next steps.US media report that the talks, scheduled for Monday in Washington, will focus on both military plans and the possibility of reviving stalled negotiations. The meeting comes as hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough have dimmed following the collapse of the latest round of talks in Pakistan.Tensions remain high, with both the US and Iran publicly insisting they are ready for further confrontation if diplomacy fails. Trump has previously signalled that he wants a way out of the costly conflict but has refused to lift the naval blockade that Iran says must end before any final agreement.He has also warned that if no deal is reached quickly, the US could resort to […]
Iran foreign minister blames US for failed talks in Pakistan
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has blamed the United States for the collapse of recent peace talks held in Pakistan.He made the remarks after landing in Russia, where he is expected to brief President Vladimir Putin on the failed negotiations and discuss next steps. Araghchi said the US approach and what he called excessive demands caused the talks to fall short, despite what he described as real progress during the negotiations.According to Iranian state media, he argued that Washington’s position prevented the discussions from reaching their goals. The talks in Pakistan were aimed at easing tensions and preventing a wider conflict, following weeks of rising fears over possible escalation in the region.Iran maintains that it engaged in the process in good faith, but was confronted with shifting expectations and pressure from the US side. In earlier comments, Araghchi had said […]