iStories investigation shows how Russia recruits soldiers for its war against Ukraine: private firms, targeted Telegram ads, and phone numbers bought for as little as 12 cents apiece

An iStories correspondent took a job at Voevoda, one of the major companies in a private recruitment market that has flourished since Russia began paying people to bring recruits into the army. Voevoda’s business works like multi-level marketing, and its enlisters (known as “recruiters”) can earn millions of rubles if they’re good at the job. Meduza summarizes the key findings of the iStories investigation.At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at [email protected].To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.