Evidence from governments, media, and human rights groups indicates that Russian authorities in Moscow do pressure and send some migrants and new immigrants to fight in Ukraine, often through coercive or deceptive methods.
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What is happening
Russian officials have been recruiting foreign labor migrants and new citizens, especially from Central Asian countries like Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, to serve in the Russian army in the war against Ukraine. Reports describe offers of fast‑track visas or citizenship in exchange for military service, as well as threats of deportation, loss of legal status, or criminal charges if people refuse.
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European and Ukrainian sources also say that African students and workers in Russia have been pressured or forced to join the military, including threats not to renew their visas or to detain and deport them if they do not sign contracts. Some accounts describe foreigners being made to sign Russian‑language contracts they do not fully understand, receiving only brief training, and then being sent to dangerous front‑line assault units with very high casualty rates.youtube+1
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Scale and terminology
Ukrainian officials and related projects claim that thousands of Central Asian migrants are serving in Russian forces, and Russian investigators have publicly stated that around 10,000 recent migrant‑citizens were sent to fight after being “caught” avoiding registration for service. These practices are sometimes described as targeting “the most defenseless” migrants, using a mix of promises and threats to compel participation.
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So while not every immigrant in Moscow or Russia is being sent to fight, there is substantial, consistent reporting that Russian authorities use migrants and recent immigrants as a recruitment pool—often under strong pressure or coercion—for the war in Ukraine.youtube
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- https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/25/europe/russia-recruits-foreign-fighters-ukraine-intl-cmd
- https://united24media.com/latest-ne...-to-the-front-lines-ukrainian-intel-says-9315
- https://ge.usembassy.gov/russia-uses-conscript-soldiers-for-war-in-ukraine/
- https://www.dw.com/en/how-russia-drafts-migrants-to-fight-in-ukraine/a-66792405
- https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2025/10/russia-migrantophobia-rise?lang=en
- https://adf-magazine.com/2024/07/us...es-russia-sends-africans-to-fight-in-ukraine/
- https://www.nbcnews.com/world/russi...-better-life-got-drawn-war-ukraine-rcna220463
- https://about.rferl.org/article/cen...-continues-sending-central-asians-to-ukraine/
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