Moscow is writing checks to American men to fill its depleted ranks. The New York Post reports that at least 18 US citizens have signed up for the Russian war machine, lured by a $26,000 signing bonus and $2,000 per month. The campaign targets the vulnerable, using ads on Facebook, TikTok, and Telegram to reach men who are poor, disgruntled, or ideologically aligned with Kremlin propaganda. It’s a digital dragnet that casts a wide net across the Atlantic.
The cost of this recruitment drive is already visible on the ground. Seth William Baker, a former Marine lance corporal from Gilbert, Arizona, fell to Russian propaganda after his discharge from the US military over a vaccine mandate. He joined the fight and was killed on the front lines three months later. His death is not an anomaly; it’s a pattern. Ukrainian security officials say the actual number of foreign fighters for Russia is likely higher than the 29,000 they’ve already counted from 135 nations.
The recruits are often a mix of the desperate and the deluded. Wilmer Puello-Mota, a former Massachusetts city councillor, fled a child pornography trial to join the war. Michael Gloss, son of a CIA officer, died in Donetsk in 2024 while helping a wounded Russian soldier. Vladimir Putin personally recognized Gloss’s sacrifice, awarding a medal for outstanding civilian service to be delivered by US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The Kremlin’s messaging is clear: loyalty, not nationality, determines your worth in this conflict.
For those who survive the initial indoctrination, the reality is brutal. Former mercenaries describe physical and racist abuse from Russian troops. Many are deployed as cannon fodder into the “meatgrinder” of the frontline, where they face Ukrainian drones and artillery with little hope of survival. Some are ordered to keep fighting even after sustaining grave injuries. The money, apparently, doesn’t buy safety.
With no end in sight, Putin is doubling down on manpower. A presidential decree signed Monday orders the expansion of active servicemen to 1.55 million, bringing the total armed forces to 2,441,630. The US State Department is expected to issue a warning to citizens about the recruitment scheme, but the Kremlin’s digital outreach shows no sign of slowing down.