According to the State Department, Russia has consistently failed to meet the minimum requirements to combat and eliminate trafficking and, due to its continued failure to meet these standards after almost a decade, it was automatically downgraded to level 3 status (TIPR, 2013, p. 310). “Russia is also a major country of transit, destination and origin for cross-border human trafficking” (Tiurukanova, 2006, p. 36). Current Russian legislation often refers to the voluntary nature of the initial connection before exploitation and is frequently used to justify refusal to prosecute perpetrators (Tiurukanova, 2006, p. 19). Poverty, economic instability and lack of education are several of the factors that favor sexual exploitation in Russia and “push” its victims towards this lifestyle. These developmental indicators increase the risky nature of vulnerable individuals, making them extremely vulnerable to promises of a better life from traffickers. Russian NGOs play a crucial role in providing training to at-risk groups and providing economic support to alleviate poverty situations. Additionally, they provide regional shelters, training for government officials and law enforcement, and victim rehabilitation. NGOs in Russia focus on three main areas: "preventive measures (information campaigns aimed at potential victims of trafficking), measures to protect and provide legal assistance to victims, and assistance to government entities to establish a legal basis for prosecuting and punishing the organizers of trafficking.” HT” (Mukomel, 2013, p. 4). Russian NGOs play an important role in overcoming government failures to combat human trafficking, receiving most of their funding from foreign entities and, in recent years, funding p...... middle of the 'article ......, V. (2013). Combating human trafficking: Russian Federation (pp. 1-8) (European Union). CARIM East Project. Seelke, C.R. (2005). Trafficking in Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean (pp. 1-17) (United States, Congress). Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. Tiuriukanova, E. (2006). Human trafficking in the Russian Federation: inventory and analysis of the current situation and responses (pp. 7-130) (UNICEF). Moscow: UNICEF. Trafficking in Persons Report 2013: National Stories. (2013). Accessed February 2, 2014, from http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2013/index.htmUnknown. (Unknown). Address root causes. Retrieved from http://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/Toolkit-files/08-58296_tool_9-2.pdfUnknown. (2013). Russia. Retrieved from http://www.globalslaveryindex.org/country/russia/