1/ Disabled Russians are being rounded up by bounty-hunters, detained illegally, robbed, and 'sold' to the Russian army for profit. It's an example of how Russia's persistent problems with modern slavery are colliding with the Russian army's demands for manpower to fight in Ukraine. ⬇️
2/ Russia has one of the worst levels of slavery in the world, with an estimated 1.9 million people held as slaves – a number only exceeded by North Korea. Slavers have increasingly taken to selling people to the Russian Army. bsky.app
1/ Enslaved people are being sold to the Russian army for up to 100,000 rubles ($1,240) each, according to anti-slavery campaigners. The issue highlights Russia's hidden but chronic problem with modern slavery, which Putin's government has failed to tackle. ⬇️
3/ This is being driven by the generous bonuses which the Russian Ministry of Defence offers to private individuals who recruit others to sign military contracts to go to war in Ukraine. Slavers are able to exploit this further by stealing their victims' bonuses and benefits. 4/ They often operate in conjunction with corrupt military recruitment officials, who take a share of the proceeds to accept 'recruits' who are clearly physically incapable. The army is so desperate for manpower that victims are not allowed to go free even when identified. 5/ 'DShRG Rusych' reports: "The events in St. Petersburg, which have not yet been covered anywhere, are interesting. However, this story illustrates how efficiently and effectively law enforcement officers sometimes work." 6/ "Recently, another group recruiting people for the Special Military Operation (SVO) was shut down. The suspects identified people unfit for service: disabled people, people with plates in their heads, missing fingers, epileptics. 7/ "They were given the necessary documents and sent to the SVO. Beforehand, their bank cards were confiscated. 8/ "According to available information, the detainees understood that these people would die within the foreseeable future. They signed receipts for alleged debts. After their deaths, the plan was to sue their relatives and collect payments for the dead. 9/ "The people were held in St. Petersburg, in an old, dilapidated building in the city centre. They were effectively locked up and deprived of their freedom. The apartment had mattresses on the floor. 10/ "Two or three people, according to available information, were immediately released from there. Unlike a similar group previously shut down in Pskov, which at least found people willing to serve in the Special Military Operation,… 11/ …those detained in St. Petersburg sought out disabled people and other individuals they could intimidate. They were given antidepressants (found in bags during searches). 12/ "Afterward, documents were processed, payments were made, and the bank cards remained in the hands of the suspects, who withdrew money from them. More than 60 receipts for amounts ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 million rubles [$17,800-$29,800] were discovered. 13/ "The only absurdity of this situation is that those who had recently signed contracts were not discharged (as was required), but were instead sent on to their place of service." /end Source: t.me