Bangladesh force reports 20 workers killed after recruitment into Russia war

Twenty Bangladeshis promised construction jobs in Russia were killed after being sent into combat, Bangladesh’s Special Response Battalion (SRB) said Wednesday, citing its preliminary investigation.

The force said a group of 30 men had their passports and phones confiscated after arrival and were handed to Russia’s military. They received 21 days of training before deployment in the war against Ukraine, The Financial Express reported.

Seventeen died in drone strikes on their first day, and three died later, the SRB said. Two injured survivors returned to Bangladesh, two were hospitalized in Moscow, and six remained on the battlefield.

The force said it arrested two men over alleged involvement in the trafficking network and was investigating foreign links. It urged job seekers to verify recruitment agencies before paying. The reported death toll remains attributed to investigators.