Brazilian Man Recruited by Russian Army

Marcelo Alexandre da Silva Pereira, 29, departed for Russia on December 3, 2025, lured by a promise of employment. According to his family, the original proposal was for him to work as a motorist. However, the situation changed rapidly after his arrival in Moscow. On December 9, just six days later, Marcelo informed his family that he had been forced to sign a contract.

The document was presented to him by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Crucially, the contract was written entirely in Russian, a language Marcelo does not understand. His wife, Gisele Pereira, emphasized his linguistic limitations, stating, "Ele não fala outra língua. Só fala português" (He doesn't speak another language. He only speaks Portuguese).

Despite the language barrier, the agreement stipulates that Marcelo must act as a shooter, utilizing an AK-74 rifle. This role is a stark contrast to the driving position he believed he was accepting. The family asserts that Marcelo had no prior military service or experience that would qualify him for such a position.

The decision to travel to Russia was driven by difficult personal circumstances. Gisele Pereira, 24, revealed that her husband was facing significant financial distress prior to his departure. He was struggling with debt and pressure regarding alimony payments, making the promise of work abroad particularly appealing.

Marcelo left behind a pregnant wife and three young children. Gisele is currently nearly two months pregnant. The children, aged 2, 4, and 7, remain in Brazil with her. The family unit was already fragile; the two younger children are from Marcelo's previous relationship, while the eldest is Gisele's child from a prior relationship.

Since his departure, Gisele has maintained sporadic contact with her husband via the messaging app Telegram. In his last communication on December 31, Marcelo sent an audio message pleading for help to return to Brazil. He told his wife, "Tu na luta aí, eu na luta aqui, para nada acontecer. Espero em Deus que, o mais rápido possível. Ele vai me tirar daqui" (You fighting there, me fighting here, so nothing happens. I hope to God, as soon as possible. He will get me out of here).

The circumstances surrounding Marcelo's recruitment suggest a coordinated effort to exploit vulnerable workers. Gisele explained that the trip was proposed by a friend living in Boa Vista. Furthermore, the logistics, including the passport and flight tickets, were handled by a company operating on social media that presents itself as an assessoria (consultancy) for entering the Russian Army.

Gisele strongly suspects that her husband is a victim of human trafficking. She believes the friend who suggested the trip was receiving money to attract people to Russia. She described the operation as "contrabando" (smuggling) and highlighted the illegality of moving Brazilians to the country under false pretenses.

The recruitment occurred against a backdrop of warnings from Brazilian authorities. In November, the Brazilian Embassy in Moscow issued an alert regarding the voluntary enlistment of Brazilians in foreign armed forces. The warning cited an increase in the number of Brazilians killed or facing difficulties in terminating their service contracts.

Gisele Pereira has taken active steps to secure her husband's release. She first contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty) on December 27. By December 30, she received a response indicating that a request for extradition would be sent to facilitate Marcelo's return to Brazil.

The Brazilian government is actively monitoring the situation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement confirming that the Embassy of Brazil in Moscow is aware of the case. The embassy is providing "assistência consular cabível" (appropriate consular assistance) to the citizen.

Gisele remains focused solely on bringing her husband home. "My focus is just to get him out of there," she stated. "I don't want to fight with anyone... What I want is for Brazil to help me, for the competent authorities to intervene in cases like this involving Brazilians, because, as the lady told me, it wasn't the first case."