Russia's Interior Ministry recently announced it would introduce measures to improve national legislation to combat slavery; but has yet to provide any information on what steps it will take.

The announcement, made by the Interior Ministry's chief lawyer, Yevgeny Sadkov, at the end of August, is in response to the growing problem of human trafficking.

Even though thousands of people are affected by this modern-day slave trade in Russia, there is no law against trafficking and traffickers go unpunished. Women are trafficked from all over the country and forced to work as prostitutes or domestic servants and men are trafficked into agricultural or construction work. They are taken to countries throughout the world including Germany, Greece, Portugal and the United States.

As well as trafficking from Russia, increasing numbers of women from poorer neighbouring countries, such as Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova are trafficked to Russia and forced into prostitution in Moscow and other cities.

Click here for more about trafficking in Russia.