The Ukraine Embassy Manila has dismissed claims by a Russian official that Filipino nationals are being recruited to join Ukrainian troops in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
In a statement issued on Friday, Nov. 28, the embassy described the allegations by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as “baseless and have no factual foundation.”
“We reject and refute the baseless fabrications of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the alleged recruitment of Filipino nationals to participate in hostilities on the side of Ukraine. These claims have no factual foundation whatsoever and do not correspond to reality,” the statement read.
The clarification was made to refute comments by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova who said an American security company had “launched a campaign in the Philippines to recruit local citizens” for the Ukrainian army.
She alleged that Filipino recruits were being promised a monthly salary of around $5,000 (roughly P293,000) and that they would be trained by “American instructors” in “San Fernando.”
The Ukrainian Embassy also claimed that the insinuation was not accidental and was ‘part of a systematic disinformation campaign by the Russian Federation aimed at discrediting Ukraine and its Defense Forces’, citing a similar instance of Russian fake news concerning “recruitment” in the Republic of Korea.
“Now Russian propagandists have decided to spread another fabricated story in the Philippines. This demonstrates a deliberate focus of Russian propaganda on the states of Southeast Asia,” the Ukraine Embassy added.
The embassy called on all nations and international partners to handle information responsibly and to resist manipulations and falsehoods that seek to undermine stability and trust.
It further reaffirmed that Ukraine and the Philippines “enjoy strong, friendly, and dynamic bilateral relations built on mutual respect, trust, and a shared commitment to international law,” emphasizing that a telephone conversation had recently taken place between the Presidents of both countries.
