Journalist Exposes Recruitment Firm for Russian Military

A correspondent from the publication 'Important Stories' took a job at 'Voevod'.

Consensus

• A journalist from 'Vazhnye Istorie' infiltrated the recruitment center 'Voevda'.
• The center 'Voevoda' recruits contract soldiers for the Russian military.
• Recruiters are paid between 150,000 and 1,000,000 rubles per recruit, depending on the recruit's place of registration.
• The center uses marketing agencies like Victory Group to purchase databases of potential recruits.
• Recruiters use social media targeting, flyers, and travel to rural areas to find candidates.
• The center employs psychological tactics to persuade candidates, including posing as supportive figures.
• The center accepts recruits with criminal records (except extremism or terrorism) and people with disabilities.
• Foreigners are recruited and paid 300,000 rubles, with instructions to conceal their purpose for coming to Russia.
• Foreign recruits are sent to FSB for vetting twice weekly before being passed to the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• The center has over 110 individual entrepreneurs receiving payments from 'Voevoda'.
• The center operates a referral program and bonus system for long-term recruiters.
• The center's revenue exceeded 700 million rubles in 2025, nearly tenfold increase from previous year.

Points of divergence

• The founder of 'Voevoda' is Vidadi Bairamov, who was 30 in 2014 and is listed in Ukraine's 'Mirotvorets' project as a Wagner Group fighter and participant in wars in Georgia and Ukraine. — novaya_eu
• The training was conducted by a 'diplomated tarologist' and a former manager of Gazprombank named Yekaterina Lazareva, who works as a 'manager of the development department'. — tg_istories_media
• The head of the department is Anton Makkuin, formerly known as Alexander Ilyin, who calls himself a model, showman, and friend of Alla Pugacheva. — tg_istories_media
• The business model of 'Voevoda' resembles network marketing, and successful recruiters can earn millions of rubles. — meduza

Coverage (3 sources)

• Journalist of 'Important Stories' became a recruiter at a company that recruits contract soldiers for the war — Новая газета Европа
• Journalist of 'Important Stories' worked at 'Voevoda' company, which recruits contract soldiers into the Russian army. There he learned that successful recruiters earn millions of rubles — Meduza
• Correspondent of «Important Stories» got a job at a recruitment center for Russians and foreigners for the war. We tell you how recruitment looks from the inside — Важные истории

Key entities

• Voivode
• Important Stories
• Russia
• Meduza
• Correspondent