Dominican Republic Seeks Answers on 20 Citizens Linked to Russia-Ukraine War

The Dominican Republic is intensifying diplomatic efforts to establish the circumstances of its citizens who traveled to Russia after accepting job offers and were subsequently reportedly linked to activities connected to the war against Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) says it has received formal documentation identifying 20 nationals through their families and has submitted their cases to Russian authorities.

Additional reports concern other Dominicans whose cases cannot yet be formally processed because the necessary supporting documents have not been provided.

Diplomatic efforts to locate Dominican nationals

Foreign Minister Víctor “Ito” Bisonó raised the issue directly with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a bilateral meeting on September 24 in New York, held alongside the United Nations General Assembly.

The Dominican Embassy in Russia has also sent official communications to the Russian Foreign Ministry requesting information about the identified nationals.

On October 6, Dominican Deputy Foreign Ministers Francisco Caraballo Núñez, responsible for bilateral foreign policy, and Opinio Díaz, responsible for consular and migration affairs, met with Russian Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Sergey Seredin. They handed him documentation relating to the 20 identified cases.

Seredin said he would forward the information to the relevant Russian authorities for review and a subsequent response. The Dominican government has not announced a definitive outcome for the cases.

Concerns over job offers in Russia

According to MIREX, the citizens involved signed individual contracts in Russia. However, some nationals and their relatives have reported that the circumstances they later encountered did not match the working conditions under which they say they initially agreed to travel.

The ministry has not publicly established the full circumstances of each case. Its statements describe reported links to activities associated with the Russia-Ukraine conflict, rather than confirming that all 20 individuals were recruited under the same conditions or assigned identical duties.

On September 24, the ministry had already issued a public warning about employment offers encouraging Dominicans to travel to Russia. It urged prospective workers to verify the legitimacy of job offers, the identity of employers and the terms of employment, particularly when recruitment takes place online or through intermediaries whose credentials cannot be confirmed.

The ministry also warned that involvement in activities connected to an armed conflict can pose serious risks to personal safety and life. Its earlier notice is available through the official MIREX warning on job offers in Russia.

Consular assistance for citizens and their families

MIREX says it remains available to assist Dominicans in Russia who need support, as well as relatives seeking information from the Dominican Republic. Depending on each case, assistance may include requests to establish a citizen’s whereabouts, communication with family members and support for a possible return home when circumstances permit.

Families with concerns about a relative in Russia can contact the Dominican Embassy in Moscow or the ministry’s protection services in Santo Domingo using the following channels.

Contact the Dominican Embassy in Moscow

Telephone: +7 (495) 415-36-01, +7 (495) 415-25-96 or +7 925 212-06-98

Email: seccionconsularrusia@mirex.gob.do or consular@embajadadominicana.org.ru

Contact MIREX in the Dominican Republic

Telephone: (809) 987-7001, extensions 7595, 7597 and 7100

Email: proteccionanacionales@mirex.gob.do

The Dominican government continues to seek information through diplomatic channels. The next steps will depend on the response from Russian authorities and the information available in each individual case.