Panama Investigates Reports of Citizens Recruited for Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Panama's Foreign Ministry is actively monitoring allegations that Panamanian citizens are being recruited to participate in the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The ministry is coordinating with the Russian Embassy in Panama and Panama's Embassy in Moscow to verify these claims. Russian authorities maintain that any contracts signed are voluntary and that individuals freely accept the terms. However, the Panamanian government is conducting a deeper investigation to ascertain the circumstances under which its citizens might have ended up in a conflict zone.

Concerns are particularly high in the Chiriquí province, where families report that young Panamanians accepted overseas employment offers without fully understanding the risks. Some of these individuals allegedly received military training after arriving in Russia, purportedly for roles such as heavy equipment operators for debris removal. One family reported their relative, who went to Russia for what they believed was a job operating heavy machinery, has been missing in Ukraine for over ten days after receiving military training.

Legal experts in Panama warn that deceiving or exploiting individuals' economic needs to send them to conflict zones could constitute serious crimes. Lawyers suggest that facilitating such departures through deception or manipulation could lead to prison sentences of 20 to 30 years under Panamanian law. The situation is compounded by reports that some of the contracts signed by these Panamanians are in foreign languages and contain clauses related to joining armed conflict structures, raising questions about informed consent and the true nature of the employment offered.

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My brother did not go to fight. My brother went as a heavy equipment operator, to clear debris and perform cleaning work.