Russia recruits Asian migrants for service in occupied territories of Ukraine
Illustrative photo: Russia mobilizes migrants from Central Asia (Getty Image)
Russian forces continue their recruitment campaign in temporarily controlled areas of Ukraine, targeting illegal migrants from Central Asia to join the Russian Armed Forces. Military enlistment offices have already reported the recruitment of the first batch of these contract soldiers, according to the National Resistance Center of Ukraine (NRC).
NRC stated that migrants from Central Asia, who were initially brought to the occupied territories of Ukraine for construction work, are now being forced to sign contracts with the Russian military under pressure.
"The reason is that their services are less needed due to the slowdown in construction during the construction crisis that has begun in Russia," the NRC noted.
The Center also noted that illegal migrants from Central Asia are threatened with deportation and a ban on re-entry. At the same time, they are offered an alternative — to sign a military service contract, with assurances that they will not be sent to the front line.
"However, this is a delusion, because the empire always fights with other people’s hands," the NRC concluded.
Russia builds up army and recruits mercenaries from other countries
Earlier, in mid-November, reports emerged about this practice by Russian forces. The NRC revealed that Russian police were pressuring migrants from Central Asia in the occupied territories of Ukraine, forcing them to sign contracts with the Russian military.
In April of last year, RBC-Ukraine also reported on Russia's plans to mobilize migrants from Central Asia into its army.
At the end of November, it was also reported that Russian forces were increasing their mobilization efforts in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
In the summer, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) pointed out that Russia's recruitment of Indian citizens to fight in the war against Ukraine was part of a deceptive campaign by the Kremlin to avoid declaring a full-scale mobilization in Russia.
Recently, Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, stated that Russia continues to increase the size of its army and create new brigades for the war against Ukraine. He noted that the occupiers are using mercenaries from Africa, Asia, and now soldiers from North Korea.
