Russia Recruits HIV-Positive Civilians, Prisoners in Ukraine War

Russia is reportedly coercing HIV-positive and seriously ill civilians in occupied Ukrainian territories to enlist in the military by offering access to necessary medical treatment as an incentive, a tactic condemned as a violation of international humanitarian law by Ukrainian officials. Recruits who accept these offers are often sent to frontline combat with minimal or no medical support, despite their vulnerable health conditions. The number of HIV cases within the Russian military has surged dramatically since the start of the war, partly due to unsafe medical practices and the recruitment of sick individuals, including prisoners and residents of occupied areas. Russian law technically exempts people with infectious diseases from military service, but in practice recruitment is indiscriminate and driven by desperation to replenish forces. Independent experts and human rights activists highlight that this strategy abandons the sick to high-risk combat roles and uses healthcare access as leverage to force enlistment. The overall pattern suggests a deliberate and systemic exploitation of vulnerable populations to sustain Russia's military efforts in Ukraine.