Russian troops in Novoaidar Photo via Wikimedia Commons, 6 March 2022 (CC BY 4.0).
MANILA — Germany firmly rejected a Russian accusation that its Manila embassy issues visas to Filipinos allegedly recruited to fight for Ukraine, calling the claim unfounded and inconsistent with Schengen visa rules.
German Ambassador to the Philippines Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke said the embassy “strictly refuses and denies” statements made by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who asserted that a U.S.-linked private security company recruits Filipinos for combat roles and sends them to Europe using visas issued in Manila.
Zakharova claimed that the Florida-based company RMS International signs up former police officers, security personnel and retired soldiers from the Philippines, lists them as employees of German private security firms, and routes them through Germany and other European Union states, including Poland, before they reach Ukraine. She did not present documentary evidence to support her allegation.
Pfaffernoschke said Schengen visas do not authorize employment in the Schengen area and cannot be used to deploy individuals to foreign battlefields. He said the German Embassy in Manila issues national work visas only for lawful employment in Germany, subject to strict verification and compliance procedures.
The Russian allegation aligns with Moscow’s broader narrative accusing Western governments and private military contractors of using foreign fighters in Ukraine. Russian state media outlets amplified Zakharova’s remarks but provided no independently verified proof.
As of Friday, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. Embassy in Manila, and the Embassy of Ukraine had not issued public statements responding to Russia’s claim.
Philippine law prohibits citizens from serving as mercenaries or joining unauthorized foreign armed conflicts. Recruitment for such activities—whether domestic or overseas—carries potential criminal penalties.
For now, Germany’s categorical rejection leaves Moscow’s account without verification, and no independently confirmed evidence shows Filipinos being routed through the German visa system to join the war in Ukraine.
