Russian law enforcement and the Ministry of Defense (MoD) may have coerced at least 20,000 Central Asian migrants to fight in Ukraine within the Russian military. Russian opposition outlet Verstka reported on August 1 that various estimates suggest that at least 20,000 Central Asia migrants are fighting in Ukraine.[1] Russian and international human rights activists told Verstka that Russian law enforcement and the MoD are recruiting Central Asian migrants by threatening to annul naturalized Russians’ citizenship and deport their families; coercing migrants in prison to sign military service contracts; and fabricating criminal cases against migrants, such as accusing them of illegal drug trafficking and extremism. Russian federal subjects reportedly have been recruiting naturalized citizens by conducting raids on migrant communities and identifying naturalized citizens who have not completed mandatory military registration with the state. Russian Investigative Committee Head Alexander Bastrykin notably stated on May 19 that Russian law enforcement detained 80,000 naturalized Russian citizens who did not register for military service and claimed that around 20,000 of these detainees are now fighting for Russia in Ukraine.[2] Verstka reported that police have conducted raids in Krasnodar Krai and Moscow and Saratov oblasts to identify naturalized citizens who have not registered for military service, and that police coerced these citizens to sign military contracts and serve at the front using physical force.
Russian officials and military commanders often mistreat Central Asian migrants and naturalized citizens without facing societal backlash, as these groups are legally and socially vulnerable in Russia. Verstka reported that Russian commanders send migrants to deadly assaults immediately upon their arrival on the frontlines and do not pay them as stipulated in contracts. Verstka noted that Russian legal services are often unwilling to help migrants and that migrants’ countries of origin also consider the migrants to be illegal mercenaries for their participation in combat operations in Ukraine.
Recent Kremlin anti-migrant, military registration, and extremism laws likely enable the Kremlin to coerce Central Asian migrants into fighting in Ukraine at scale on false premises. Verstka reported that Russian law enforcement has unrestricted authority to coerce migrants into contract military service since the adoption of anti-migrant laws. Russian human rights activists told Verstkathat the typical bribes to avoid military service increased from 5,000 to 10,000 rubles ($63 to $126) to around 50,000 to 100,000 rubles ($625 to $1,261). Russian human rights activists say that typical fines for failing to undergo military registration increased to at least 40,000 rubles ($501), though Putin signed a law on July 7 that increased such fines up to 20,000 rubles ($250).[3] Putin recently signed a law on July 31 that expands the offenses for which Russian authorities can revoke acquired Russian citizenship, including extremism and “unlawful influence” on Russia’s information space.[4] The Russian State Duma is actively expanding the conditions under which the Kremlin may revoke acquired Russian citizenship.[5] The Russian State Duma adopted a law in July 2024 that forces recently naturalized citizens to register for military service immediately after receiving a passport.[6] The 2024 law also specified that the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) will inform military registration offices about naturalized citizens who will soon be issued a Russian passport, and Russian officials have the power to revoke Russian citizenship from individuals who do not register.[7] These laws are likely enabling Russia to intensify coercive recruitment of Central Asian migrants under threat of arrest and deprivation of Russian citizenship.
Key Takeaways:
Russian Mobilization and Force Generation Efforts
- Russian law enforcement and the Ministry of Defense (MoD) may have coerced at least 20,000 Central Asian migrants to fight in Ukraine within the Russian military.
- Russian federal subjects and municipal officials are introducing new financial incentives to individuals who recruit volunteers from other Russian regions or foreign countries.