Deceptive Job Ads Lure Russians into Military Contracts as Recruitment Scheme Unfolds

Army recruiters in Moscow are misleading individuals into signing military contracts through fraudulent job advertisements that assure no involvement in combat, according to the exiled news outlet Vyorstka, which cited anonymous sources knowledgeable about the situation.

Numerous ads soliciting “drivers, security personnel, and construction workers for non-combat roles” have reportedly surfaced on sites like Avito since at least March. However, officials from the Moscow Mayor’s Office allege that these ads are part of a campaign by a Defense Ministry contractor aimed at boosting recruitment figures and obtaining financial bonuses.

Recently, Vyorstka noted a renewed push for recruitment in the capital following a period of stagnation. President Vladimir Putin asserted last week that the military is now enlisting as many as 60,000 “volunteers” monthly.

Sources indicate that the contractors responsible for these misleading job postings lack the ability to assign recruits to non-combat positions. “It’s merely a tactic to draw in more individuals,” said a recruiter whose contact details appeared in one of the advertisements. An official described the scheme as “an utterly obvious scam.”

Once individuals arrive at the military recruitment center on Yablochkova Street in northern Moscow, they seldom refuse to sign the contract.

One man from Krasnodar reported being promised a one-year contract and a free flight to Moscow, only to find out upon his arrival that the terms were open-ended. He went ahead and signed anyway.

“A typical profile of someone who has been misled is that of a naive provincial individual who is willfully ignorant and has not served in the military before,” remarked a Moscow official.

Since 2023, Russian authorities have been promoting contract military service by highlighting lucrative salaries as a significant incentive.