Russian recruiters accept soldiers with HIV, hepatitis, and syphilis for Ukraine war
Photo: Russian army (Getty Images)
There has been a sharp increase in advertisements for contract military service to participate in the war against Ukraine on Russian social networks. Recruiters promise large payments and benefits, stating their readiness to consider candidates who might have previously been disqualified from service, according to The Moscow Times.
According to The Moscow Times, thousands of identical ads appear daily on VKontakte and Odnoklassniki, with a significant portion posted in job search communities. The publications promise potential contractors multi-million-ruble payments, benefits for them and their family members, and the possibility of writing off debts of up to 10 million rubles.
Some advertisements are accompanied by calls to sign a contract allegedly before the start of a new mobilization wave.
Who is ready to be taken into service
Particular attention is drawn to advertisements in which recruiters state their readiness to accept people with serious illnesses.
In particular, one advertisement in the Voronezh region explicitly states: "Hepatitis, HIV, syphilis, and other diseases - we are ready to accept!" HIV infection and certain forms of chronic viral hepatitis are included in the list of diseases that may be grounds for restrictions on concluding a contract during periods of mobilization, martial law, and wartime.
Recruiters have also begun offering service to men with category "D" fitness status, which indicates unfitness for military service (including due to mental disorders and drug addiction). Corresponding advertisements state that candidates with category "D" are accepted strictly confidentially.
Advertising is spreading in job search communities
Advertisements are appearing in groups of local administrations, cultural centers, on job search pages, and in other local public pages, not just on social networks.
These advertisements feature different amounts depending on the region. For example, the official group of the Zabaykalsky Krai government offered a one-time payment of 2.6 million rubles, 210,000 rubles monthly, and 5.6 million rubles for a year of service.
Context of the news
The pace of recruiting contractors into the Russian army in 2026 continues to decline, despite an increase in one-time payments for signing contracts. From January to August, about 234,000 Russians signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense, which is 10% less than in the same period last year.
Russia has also tightened restrictions on the departure of reservists abroad. A case was recorded for the first time in which a reservist was not allowed to leave the country due to a mobilization notice in his documents.
