Job Openings for Security Guards and Couriers: Russians Are Being Lured Into the Army Through Fake Ads on “Avito”
15 July 21:43
Job postings for security guards and couriers have begun appearing en masse on “Avito,” which are actually offers to sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense. "Komersant Ukrainian" reports this, citing Russian propaganda media.
The ads promise salaries of up to 300,000 rubles, “safe” work far from the front lines, one-time payments in the millions, debt forgiveness, and various benefits.
Some job postings indirectly state that applicants will need to sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense, specifically to undergo “registration through the military registration and enlistment office” and sign an “agreement.” Other postings specify that employment will be formalized “in accordance with the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.”
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For example, “security guards” are offered the chance to defend “the skies over Moscow” and other cities, as well as oil refineries, oil terminals, ports, and military hospitals from Ukrainian attacks, while “couriers” are asked to transport cargo as part of supply convoys.
Recruiters assure applicants that this involves work or service far from the front lines.
“No ‘cannon fodder’ or unknown destinations. Only rear units: warehouses, repair bases, communications hubs, headquarters, medical stations, mess halls, and vehicle depots,” reads one of the ads.
They specifically target people with debts or legal problems: they’re told that by applying for the position, they’ll get “a chance to start their lives over.” No work experience is required, though in some cases there is an age limit of 63 years.
Similar ads were already posted on “Avito” in July, where contract service was disguised as job openings for mechanics, installers, welders, and other civilian specialists.
Applicants were offered jobs at sites in Russian regions, with the ads stating that these included, in particular, the occupied “LPR” and “DPR,” as well as the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
The surge in such advertisements coincided with a slowdown in recruitment for the Russian Armed Forces. According to estimates by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in the first half of the year, the Ukrainian Armed Forces took 30,000–34,000 Russian soldiers were taken out of action each month, while the Ministry of Defense managed to recruit about 27,000 contract soldiers per month. By June, the Russian army’s total losses in Ukraine had reached 1.4 million people, including 450,000 killed.
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