Russian Embassy in Tehran Denies Validity of Fake Recruitment Ads on Social Media

The Russian Embassy in the Iranian capital, Tehran, categorically denied on Tuesday the validity of a widely circulated advertisement on social media within Iran, claiming to invite Iranian citizens to join the Russian armed forces to fight in Ukraine for financial rewards.

The official denial came in a statement published by the embassy on its Telegram channel, where it noted that unknown individuals "seeking profit" had posted a fake message online recently. According to the statement, this alleged message includes an offer directed at Iranian men and youth aged between 18 and 45, inviting them to sign contracts for service in what is referred to as the "special military operation zone" _referring to Ukraine_ in exchange for large sums of money.

The embassy warned in its statement about the nature of these messages, confirming that "this message and any other similar messages are completely fake and have a criminal nature," emphasizing that "neither the embassy nor any official Russian entity has any connection to this advertisement."

The statement urged Iranian citizens to "immediately inform security agencies and the police in Iran upon receiving any alleged message or advertisement attributed to the embassy," warning against falling victim to scams. The embassy also confirmed that any official communication from them is exclusively through their trusted and known channels, urging the public not to engage with any advertisements or documents not published through their official platforms.

According to details in the fake advertisement, titled "Recruitment in the Russian Army," it promises applicants an initial reward of $20,000, in addition to a monthly salary of $2,000, with full coverage of travel and visa costs, as well as accommodation and food. The tasks mentioned in the advertisement range from "driving and operating drones."

In a related context, the spread of this message across Persian-speaking social media platforms has sparked negative reactions and discontent among users, with many questioning its credibility from the outset.

This official denial comes as Radio Free Europe noted that "the recruitment of foreign mercenaries for the war in Ukraine is usually done through unofficial channels or companies, and the Russian government does not necessarily recruit foreign mercenaries directly."