Peru has summoned Russian Ambassador Alekséi Ushakov to express concern over hundreds of Peruvian nationals recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine, where 11 have died, 114 are missing, and three have been captured by Ukrainian forces out of 459 enlistees.
Foreign Minister Carlos Espá conveyed President Keiko Fujimori's demand for precise information on the whereabouts and condition of all Peruvians in Russia. The foreign ministry has held more than 25 meetings with relatives, dispatched a special envoy to Moscow, and repatriated 27 citizens, with four more recently brought home after fleeing forced recruitment.
The diplomatic protest followed protests by family members outside the Russian embassy in Lima, where demonstrators demanded the return of their relatives and denounced recruiters who remain at large. A victims' representative claimed up to 150 Peruvians have died, though the government has not confirmed that toll. An estimated 24,000 mercenaries from 44 countries now fight in Russian ranks, according to a NATO official.