How Russia targets ex-US troops to use as cannon fodder in its ‘meatgrinder’ war
Russia is actively recruiting ex-US troops into fighting its ‘meatgrinder war’ against Ukraine – and has succeeded in well over a dozen cases.
According to the New York Post, 18 former service personnel were tricked into joining the full scale invasion of Ukraine - which has seen over 1.5 million Russian casualties.
Putin’s aggressive regime actively recruits international citizens to join its unprovoked war, with nationalities including North Korea, India, several African nations, the UK and others all falling prey to recruiters.
Ukrainian officials estimate there are 29,000 foreign fighters from 135 different countries fighting for Putin.
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What happens to foreign fighters in Russia's army?
Once in the ranks of the Russian army many non-Russians can expect to be used as cannon fodder in deadly wave attacks on Ukrainian positions.
Vitaliy Matvienko, who heads a Ukrainian state project on Russian surrenders, told The Post, “It has become an entire industry and is very profitable. Russia suffers 30,000–40,000 casualties every month and they are no longer able to cover their losses.
“They recruit foreigners, send them to war, and when they are killed, their deaths do not create any negative reaction in Russian society. In most cases, the families of killed foreign recruits do not receive the compensation they are supposed to receive.”
How are foreigners recruited into Putin's war machine?
Recruiters located across the globe have been activated – using Facebook Ads and other social media platforms such as TikTok and Telegram to find those it can convince through ideology, financial distress and mental health vulnerability.
Each recruit can earn the agent $24K plus a cut in their victim’s salary.
By contrast, soldiers recruited into the US army are given a $26K signing bonus and $2K per month.
The most famous case of an American joining Putin’s forces was that of Michael Gloss, a 21-year-old son of a CIA official.
Before Gloss was killed fighting for Russia in 2024, he was pictured in military fatigues next to Russian troops – to the shock of his family – particularly his mother Juliane Gallina, who was CIA deputy director for digital innovation at the time and his father Larry Gloss, a US Navy veteran.
It is understood Gloss was believed to have been struggling with his mental health and went ‘off grid’ before joining the Russian army.
He died while assisting a wounded Russian soldier as his position was attacked with an artillery strike in Donetsk, his father said.
Putin himself handed a medal to US Special envoy Steve Witkoff to be passed to Gloss’ parents – in recognition of his service. Gloss’ parents were contacted via email for comment.
Matvienko says that Russia has a “very strange, almost psychedelic attitude toward Americans.”
“When an American suddenly ends up fighting on Russia’s side, it becomes an almost sacred event for Russian propaganda,” he claimed.
“Their opinions are presented as extremely important. They are invited onto television, featured in reports, interviewed, and taken around Russian media outlets and public events.
“Russian propaganda presents them as proof that ‘people in the West understand what is really going on,’ or that ‘ordinary Americans support Russia’”.
Topics: Russia
Michael D. Carroll