Trafficking in human being is a most serious and growing problem in the Russian Federation, and one that is misunderstood, barely acknowledged and easily tolerated. Trafficking in women is a multibillion dollar industry and a key source of revenue for Russian organized crime groups.

This sturdy shows that the trafficking of women from the Russian Federation occurs on a global scale. Russian women are known to have been trafficked to between 40 and 50 countries worldwide, including most European countries, North American and parts of Asia and the Middle East. Trafficking also occurs within Russia itself. The US State Department estimates that more than 100,000 women were trafficked from the countries of the former Soviet Union in 1997 alone.