By leveraging economic hardship and false employment promises, Russia is systematically recruiting labor migrants from Central Asian countries to work in occupied Ukrainian territories and later manipulating them into a military service for the Russian army.
This comes as Russia has already lost between 462,000 and 728,000 soldiers killed or wounded, according to leaked US Department of Defense documents, and is seeking to replenish its manpower to continue waging the war against Ukraine.
Facing a shortage of soldiers due to losses in Ukraine, Russia is misleading foreign civilians, particularly from economically struggling nations such as India, Nepal, Cuba, Syria, and Central Asian countries, by offering well-paid non-combat jobs that ultimately lead to combat roles.
According to the National Resistance Center, Russia has already transported approximately 100,000 migrants from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan to occupied Ukrainian territories by the end of 2023.
These countries experience growing populations, high unemployment and significant economic dependence on remittances, with migrant transfers constituting up to 40% of Tajikistan’s GDP and over 20% in both Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, Ukrainska Pravda reports.
The Russian government has allocated 2.3 trillion rubles (approximately $23 billion) for “reconstruction” over seven years of occupied territories in eastern and southern Ukraine, creating substantial demand for cheap labor.
Migrants are enticed with promises of higher wages, simplified documentation, and potential Russian citizenship. However, they frequently face risks of exploitation, unpaid wages, and forced military service.
“We have facts that labor migrants from Uzbekistan in Russia are lured to the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine allegedly for construction and restoration of destroyed houses, and then their documents are taken away and they are sent to the front,” stated the Ukrainian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Mykola Doroshenko.
While employment in Ukraine was not a primary goal for these workers, Russian authorities have pushed them toward jobs in occupied regions, mainly in construction, agriculture, and services. However, these workers often receive lower wages than their Russian predecessors.
Construction jobs in the eastern Donbas region are advertised with salaries of up to 350,000 rubles ($4,000) monthly, including accommodation and benefits, according to Bloomberg. This significantly exceeds typical Russian wages, where factory operators earn approximately $2,000 per month.
One Tajikistani resident, Soleh, recounted to Bloomberg that he was being offered citizenship in exchange for signing a military contract while in a deportation center. Though he declined, he reported that others had been recruited through similar means.
While Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan legally prohibit citizen participation in foreign conflicts as mercenaries, enforcement remains inconsistent.
In 2023, a widely known case in Kyrgyzstan involved a 32-year-old man sentenced to 10 years in prison for fighting in Donbas on behalf of Russia. However, upon review, the court reduced his punishment, releasing him with three years of administrative supervision.
Ukrainian legal experts like Crimean prosecutor Igor Ponochevny note that migrants can typically only be charged with administrative offenses for illegally crossing borders, not for employment itself.
“The Tajikistan authorities warned their citizens about the inadmissibility of participating in hostilities in Ukraine, but so far no one has been punished, at least information about this has not been disclosed,” reports the Tajik service of Radio Free Europe.
Ukraine, however, considers any participation in activities in occupied territories as criminal, with the Ukrainian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan warning that working in these regions is viewed as cooperation with a military aggressor.
According to Ukrainian Minister of Justice Olha Stefanishyna, approximately 30 Central Asian citizens fighting for Russia have been taken as prisoners of war since the full-scale invasion began, with minimal prospects for prisoner exchanges, as Russia is no longer interested in them.
Related:
- Forbes: Russia hires mercenaries against Ukraine in at least 21 countries
- Russia recruited hundreds of Cubans to fight against Ukraine
- Russia recruits Indians to fight against Ukraine
