The United Nations has found evidence that citizens from 29 countries, including Bangladesh, were recruited into the Russian military through deception and coercion.

The information was revealed in a report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, as cited by the US media outlet The Washington Post.

Submitted to the UN General Assembly's Human Rights Committee on Monday (October 26), the report stated that Moscow incorporated foreign nationals aged between 18 and 60 into the Russian armed forces through enticement and force, violating international law.

A significant portion of these individuals were recruited by exploiting their economically disadvantaged backgrounds, marginalization, and lower levels of education.

According to the report, victims were transported to Russia through travel agencies and local brokers operating in various countries.

Upon arrival, they were forced to sign Ministry of Defense contract papers written in Russian, a language they could not comprehend.

Quoting the UN Commission, the report noted that the recruits were left stunned when they realized they were required to directly participate in the war in Ukraine on behalf of the Russian military.

The Commission conducted investigations into citizens from 48 countries and gathered concrete evidence of such fraudulent recruitment involving 29 nations.

The 29 countries named in the report are Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Brazil, Botswana, Cameroon, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ghana, Honduras, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

The report also detailed severe strikes by Russia against Ukraine's power and energy infrastructure.

The Commission stated that deliberately cutting off electrical services during freezing winter temperatures to inflict suffering on millions of civilians amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Speaking at a press conference, Commission Chair Erik Møse said that attacks on energy hubs constitute war crimes as they directly target civilian infrastructure, forcing ordinary citizens to face inhumane hardship in freezing darkness.

The report noted that power cuts prevented elderly citizens from taking elevators to reach bomb shelters during drone and missile attacks, while hospital patients on life support faced extreme life-threatening risks.

The findings were based on testimonies from 255 victims, physicians, and civil society members located in Kyiv and other regions during the 2025–26 winter.

Russia's Mission to the UN stated that it does not recognize the Commission's report and dismissed all allegations as baseless and reliant on disinformation.