Moscow is using foreigners who have obtained Russian citizenship to help its war against Ukraine, said Aleksandr Bastrykin, head of the Russian Investigative Committee, according to Politico.
Russian law enforcement has reportedly been raiding factories and enterprises all across Russia, issuing military draft notices to the migrants. Some Russian private companies also hire migrants to dig trenches in Ukraine.
As of now, the Kremlin has sent over 30,000 migrants to Ukrainian front lines, Bastrykin said at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum.
“We have already caught more than 30,000 (migrants) who received citizenship and did not want to register for the military, put them on the register, and already sent about 10,000 to the zone of a special military operation,” claimed the Russian official.
He said Russia needs a labor force and using migrants on the battlefield is a part of the government policy.
“Why are these (migrants) needed there? To dig trenches and build fortifications. We need good working hands for that. They are now joining the ranks of our rear units,” Bastrykin said.
Earlier, the UK Defense Ministry’s latest intelligence update informed that Russia is significantly increasing its recruitment efforts in Africa to support its military operations in Ukraine, focusing on Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, and Uganda to enlist fighters.
The expansion of recruitment across Global South is aimed at replenishing military losses in Ukraine while avoiding mobilization in Russia, as per the Ministry.
Read more:
- Ukrainian forces detain Slovak mercenary fighting for Russia
- Forbes: Russia hires mercenaries against Ukraine in at least 21 countries
- British Defense Ministry: Russia faces doctor shortage, recruits from Africa with minimal credential checks
- Media: Ukrainian forces operate against Wagner mercenaries in Sudan
