Paraguayan Answered to a Job Ad Promising Future in Russia - Now He Is a Prisoner of War

Marcos Nauel Casares Bogado, a 23-year-old Paraguayan, was captured by fighters of Ukraine's 119th Brigade in the Kharkiv region, according to a video shared by Andriy Tsaplienko, a Ukrainian military journalist. Marcos told interviewers from the 14th Army Corps that he had been recruited through a TikTok advertisement offering work and "a future" in Russia - and was never told he'd end up fighting a war. The video, followed by a transcript, is available below:

The transcript of the interview:

- Tell us who are you, what's your name and how old are you.

- My name I'm 23 years old, and I'm from Paraguay. 

- How did you end up in Russia's army? Why did you sign the contract?

- I found it through the internet - I saw a link on TikTok that said there was a security guard job opportunity and a future in Russia. I got involved, and a man told me I'd have to get to Russia. 

- How did find out about the military service in Russia? How were you recruited?

- They really didn't tell me it was for the war - they told me it was for jobs and opportunities. When I arrived in Russia, they made me sign things they also wouldn't let me translate.

- What was your occupation back in civilian live? What were you doing before you ended up here?

- I did a lot of things - I drove trucks, worked as a bricklayer's assistant, other civilian-type jobs, like normal work. 

- What attracted you about the opportunity to work in Russia? Why did you choose it?

- They tell you they're going to put you in as professional security, but they never tell you it's for the war. T

- What were your duties in the Russian army? What training did you receive? Why were you sent into the combat?

- They didn't give us any training. The only mission we had was to be in a trench and not let anyone through.

- Were you promised any salary for your work?

- Yes, they promised us monthly fees but those were never paid. 

- Do your relatives know that you are in captivity now? And did they know you were in Russian army?

- My relatives knew I was travelling to Russia for work but nobody knew we were actually sent to the war. 

- Did you serve in your country's armed forces?

- No I hadn't had any military training.

- How many foreigners are there in Russian army? How many have you seen?

I saw a lot of people at the hotel where they put us - about 15 or 20 of us. 

- What were you told to do? What were you promised?

- Nothing - just being in the trench and holding the position, but we never actually had combat.

- How you surrendered? Tell us your story. 

- When I arrived in Russia, someone I didn't know met me at the airport. They took us to a hotel, and from there they made us sign things they wouldn't let us translate. After that they sent us to different - how do I put it - different military bases, and then they sent us to the front. We were there about a month, and there was no combat at all.

- So what did you do to surrender?

We decided to surrender so you could help us escape from there, because we really were deceived and didn't come to be in a war. We aren't enemies of Ukraine, because we were deceived. We had no intention of entering a war that wasn't ours. That's why we decided to escape and surrender to the Ukrainians - because we really aren't enemies of this country. We just wanted a future, but we've been deceived. We're even willing to help your country.

- Do your relatives know that you are in captivity?

- My relatives don't know anything, or very little. The Russians wouldn't let us communicate. 

- Where are your personal belongings now? Your phone and other things?

At the place where they held us before bringing us here, they took our phones, and my family is in Paraguay. 

- Are you married? Do you have kids? 

- I'm not and I got no kids.

- Did you reconsider things in your live after you surrendered and after I have seen the realities of war? What can you tell us about things you have seen in Russia's army?

- The Russian Federation is complete garbage. Russia treats its own people poorly. Besides deceiving innocent people, they also steal from them. 

- Do you know other foriegners who fought in Russia's army?

- I've heard rumors that some have died and others are in the hospital. We don't really know much about them. 

- Why you think people fight for Russia?

- I think people are confident that Russia is a big country and that's why they go along with it, but the one who really deserves the help is Ukraine.

- Did you have any legal problems in your country?

- No, I've never had problems. I've always been a well-behaved young man. 

- So you just hooked by an ad promising easy money?

Everyone ones to have a good life but everything they promised turned out to be a lie. 

- Why didn't you try to flee when you realized that you were being sent to war?

- There were a lot of them, and first we had to learn all the routes and think it through, because there were a lot of mines. You can't just go running around out there. We had to learn the routes and study every place.

- What realities of war have you seen? Were they different from the ones you saw in the news?

I really don't know what else to say, but it's not always what you see on the internet. There are ugly things. There's a lot of people you begin to watch die in front of you. We lost three men in that war - three men who were deceived and were innocent, because of mines, drones, bombs, and other things. It really hurts, everything we saw in that place. 

- Did you murder anyone at war?

Thank God, I never fired at anyone. I was in that hole for a month, but I never had a confrontation with anyone else.

- Why didn't you try to flee when you realized that you were being sent to war?

 Really, they expect the foreigners to do everything - they don't want to do anything themselves. All they do is hide in the hole. 

- What would you like to tell people watching this video? Would you like to talk them out from going for work to Russia.

What I'd tell people is: don't come to this country, to Russia, before the war ends, because it's all a lie. They'll deceive you, they'll rob you, and you'll probably end up dead.

Get Out Safely

Paraguayans and other foreign nationals lured into Russia's armed forces have an option to safely escape the battlefield with Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. See our FAQ on how to safely surrender to Ukrainian forces.