Panamanian authorities are intensifying diplomatic efforts to locate and repatriate citizens who continue traveling to the Russia Ukraine war zone despite repeated government warnings. Foreign Minister Javier Martínez Acha confirmed that two more Panamanians flew to Moscow just last week, ignoring official alerts about misleading military recruitment contracts.
The foreign ministry has sent numerous formal communications to both Russian and Ukrainian diplomatic channels seeking information about Panamanians who enlisted in the conflict. Some citizens have already been successfully evacuated from Moscow and Kiev back to Panama, according to the minister.
Diplomatic Pressure and Russia-Ukraine War Challenges
Martínez Acha described a daily reporting process tracking Panamanians caught in the war zone. “Panama has advanced as far as democracy and diplomacy allow,” he said, explaining that diplomatic notes have been dispatched to both capitals requesting access to citizens who voluntarily joined military ranks.
“We have sent many letters to the Russian foreign ministry and the Ukrainian foreign ministry with the purpose of linking Panamanians who, in one way or another, agreed to enlist” [Translated from Spanish]
The minister emphasized that evacuation operations have succeeded in bringing some individuals home from both Moscow and Kiev. But the flow of new recruits continues despite public awareness campaigns.
El canciller de la República, Javier Martínez Acha, se refirió a los panameños que se encuentran en las zonas del conflicto entre Rusia y Ucrania: “Panamá ha avanzado lo que permite la democracia y la diplomacia. Hemos cursado muchas cartas a la cancillería rusa y la cancillería ucraniana con el propósito de que vinculen a los panameños que, de una forma u otra, accedieron a alistarse. Créanme que el reporte es diario, hemos podido trasladar a algunos ciudadanos desde Moscú y desde Kiev a Panamá. La semana pasada para que sepan dos nuevos ciudadanos fueron a Moscú, a pesar de todas las advertencias, alertas, etcétera, siguen cayendo en este tipo de contrataciones que no dicen la realidad de lo que van a enfrentar una vez lleguen allá”.
— Telemetro Reporta (@TReporta) October 26, 2026
War Recruitment Schemes Target Vulnerable Panamanians Citizens
Officials warn that recruitment offers fail to disclose the true nature of what awaits volunteers once they arrive in the conflict zone. The two most recent cases highlight how warnings and alerts have not deterred citizens from accepting these contracts.
“Believe me, the report is daily. We have been able to transfer some citizens from Moscow and from Kiev to Panama. Last week, so you know, two new citizens went to Moscow, despite all the warnings, alerts, etcetera, they keep falling for these types of contracts that don’t state the reality of what they will face once they arrive there” [Translated from Spanish]
The foreign ministry continues monitoring the situation closely as the Russia Ukraine war creates ongoing risks for Panamanian nationals abroad.
How False Job Promises Dragged Panamanians to the War
A major scandal has erupted in Panama over the recruitment of citizens to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, sparking widespread public outrage. Shocking reports reveal that deceptive networks are exploiting severe economic hardship and high unemployment, luring vulnerable Panamanians through false promises.
Under the guise of lucrative job offers abroad—often disguised as positions in private security, construction, or logistics—victims are trapped into signing military contracts and sent directly to the frontlines without proper training or consent. This deliberate exploitation of financial desperation has triggered intense backlash.
Citizens and legal analysts are now demanding immediate action from the Foreign Ministry and judicial authorities to investigate these predatory rings, rescue stranded Panamanians, and bring those responsible to justice.