Peru’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the status of Peruvian citizens who joined the Russia-Ukraine war, announcing that 11 of the 459 people officially identified as participants had been killed and that 114 were missing. The ministry also announced that three Peruvian citizens were being held captive by the Ukrainian army.
Peru’s Foreign Ministry also said that 31 citizens had been evacuated from Russia. The consular section of Peru’s embassy in Russia is continuing procedures to send two young Peruvian citizens facing difficulties back to Peru.
Two Peruvian citizens returned to their country at the end of July after their consular procedures were completed.
Risk of human trafficking
The ministry warned Peruvians against fake job offers linked to the war. It warned that these offers could lead to citizens becoming victims of human trafficking networks.
Reminding citizens that official government authorization is required to serve in the armed forces of a foreign country, Peru’s Foreign Ministry called for human traffickers involved in these operations to be reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the National Police.
Victims and their relatives can contact Peru’s consulates in Moscow and Warsaw, which handle consular procedures concerning the Ukraine region.
Families call for action outside Russian Embassy
Families of Peruvians who joined the Russian army gathered outside the Russian Embassy in Lima, demanding that their injured relatives be brought back to Peru and that information be provided about their whereabouts.
The families’ spokesperson said they had received information that at least 150 Peruvians had been killed. The spokesperson emphasized that the figure had not yet been officially confirmed.
The Peruvian government requested support from the International Committee of the Red Cross to help locate missing citizens.
