Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – In an official public advisory released September 24, the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) has issued an urgent warning to the nation’s citizens about fraudulent job recruitment schemes that falsely promise civilian employment in Russia, before funneling recruits into military service amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The foreign ministry’s guidance comes in response to a growing number of formal complaints from Dominican nationals who have fallen victim to the deceptive operations. Recruiters typically operate entirely through online platforms or unvetted third-party intermediaries, luring job seekers with attractive work offers that require international travel to Russia. Once recruits arrive in the country, they are coerced or misled into signing military contracts and deployed to active frontline combat zones in Ukraine, according to survivor accounts.
One high-profile case that has brought national attention to the scam involves 28-year-old Juan Carlos Ávila Espaillat, a native of Higüey, Dominican Republic. Ávila Espaillat told reporters he traveled to Russia earlier this year after accepting what he believed was a legitimate civilian job offer. He only realized the true nature of the arrangement after being pressured to sign a military contract and shipped to the frontlines against Ukraine. The young man later shared graphic video footage from a Russian military hospital, where he was recovering from severe leg injuries sustained in a combined attack involving drones and landmines. His story has become a central example of the deadly risks posed by these fraudulent recruitment networks.
In its formal statement, MIREX urged Dominican citizens to exercise extreme vigilance when evaluating any international job offer, especially those that come through unconfirmed online channels or brokers with no verifiable professional credentials. The ministry outlined clear steps for job seekers to protect themselves: all applicants must independently verify the source of any employment offer, confirm the legal identity of the hiring organization, and review every term of a proposed contract in full before making travel arrangements or signing any binding documentation. The advisory repeated its recommendation that Dominicans complete full background checks on both job opportunities and the parties facilitating them before agreeing to travel internationally.
For citizens who have already fallen for the deceptive offers and found themselves trapped in high-risk or vulnerable situations abroad, MIREX confirmed it will extend full consular support to assist with resolving their cases and securing safe return where possible.