A construction worker's passport going up in flames has become a symbol of one woman's apparent mission to funnel foreign men into Russia's war in Ukraine and leave them stuck there. Per a BBC investigation, "Omar," a 26-year-old Syrian who spoke under a pseudonym, says former Russian teacher Polina Alexandrovna Azarnykh lured him and other Arabs into signing army contracts through her Telegram channel, promising good pay, housing, and even noncombat roles in exchange for cash. He says she took their passports, promised Russian citizenship, and told them that for $3,000 she could keep them away from the front. Instead, he says, he got 10 days of basic training and was sent straight into heavy fighting.
When Omar refused to pay, a video arrived on his phone, showing his passport in flames, and a woman's voice he recognized as Azarnykh saying, "It's burning well." The BBC says it has identified nearly 500 men from Syria, Egypt, Yemen, and multiple African countries who received "invitation" documents from Azarnykh allowing them to enter Russia to join the military. Relatives of at least 12 of those men say they're now dead or missing. Recruits and families told the BBC they knew they were entering military service but believed they would guard facilities or checkpoints, not be in front-line positions—and that they were never clearly told contracts could be extended under a 2022 decree until the war ends.
Azarnykh denies wrongdoing and, in public videos, has increasingly insisted that recruits knew they were going to war, mocking those who expected passports, accommodations, and comfort "for free." The BBC reports that Azarnykh operates in a broader, loosely organized network of recruiters feeding Russia's manpower needs as casualties climb, alongside other Arabic-language Telegram accounts advertising "elite" battalions and big bonuses. Read the full story.
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