Russia compels migrants and academics to serve on the battlefront
Russia, struggling with heavy casualties during its invasion of Ukraine, is reportedly resorting to unconventional recruitment methods. The Kremlin is alleged to be coercing migrants and foreign students to join the military, threatening deportation for those who refuse. Adil, a young Somalian, sought work opportunities in Russia, leaving his family behind in his impoverished homeland. Initially, he worked as a security guard for meager wages. Adil then discovered a military recruitment poster offering a monthly salary of approximately 1900 Euros, along with the promise of Russian citizenship and assurances that he wouldn't have to fight at the front.
However, Adil's dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Within four days of joining the military, he found himself on the front lines in Ukraine. Instead of engaging in combat, Adil had already fled, claiming in an ntv interview that he didn't come to Russia to kill. Adil asserted that he didn't even know how to handle his weapon and that he had lost it during the chaos. He believed that he was earning an average wage for regular work, and that a lucrative opportunity had come his way.
Many young men from African countries, including Burundi, the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Somalia, are currently experiencing similar circumstances. Intermediaries entice them with promises of well-paid jobs in Russia, while Russian mercenary troops offer military positions. However, the reality doesn't always match the promises - no job, little or no money, no back rows, but rather the spearhead of the Russian fighting forces.
Mass Recruitment Under Putin
Russian intelligence services estimate that Russia has lost up to half a million soldiers during its invasion of Ukraine. Independent Russian investigative portals Meduza and Mediazona believe these numbers to be inflated but still estimate around 100,000 Russian casualties. To replenish its ranks, the Kremlin is reportedly seeking new recruitment avenues. Thousands of migrants and foreign students are said to have been forced to join the military, according to the financial and economic portal Bloomberg.
In early 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued decrees for the third time to ease the conditions for recruiting foreigners. Foreign recruits no longer need a fixed residence to join the military. Incentives for recruitment have also been expanded. Russia attracts foreigners with relatively high salaries, the promise of comprehensive social benefits, and the offer of Russian citizenship for themselves and their family members.
Recruitment Akin to the Wagner Group
Currently, approximately 35,000 to 37,000 African students are in Russia, according to the organization Rossotrudnitschestvo, which represents Russian interests in Africa. Approximately 6500 new African students are accepted into Russia each year to study free of charge, said the head of the organization, Evgeny Primakow.
In libraries or classrooms, these students are increasingly found in recruitment offices. The message is clear: Refusal of military service in Ukraine would result in the revocation or non-renewal of their visas. Occasionally, Russia has even detained young Africans and presented them with a choice: Deportation or military service. "It's naturally difficult to resist these threats," comments reporter Alberto Nardelli in Bloomberg's YouTube channel.
This practice began with the methods of the Wagner mercenary group. "During the Battle of Bachmut, Wagner started recruiting prisoners. Among these prisoners were foreigners. Now, as Russian losses increase, Russia is expanding this tactic," Nardelli reports.
Recruitment offices are rummaging through databases for individuals who have applied for jobs in Russia in the past. "They are lured with the promise of a job in Russia and then forced to join the military," so Nardelli.
Most often, there is only one way out: With luck, they can bribe corrupt Russian officials to avoid the front.
Cannon Fodder for the Battlefield
Since 2023, there has been a significant increase in the number of captured foreigners at the front, it is said. Russia has also reportedly attempted to recruit new soldiers for the war in at least 21 countries, including several African nations.
The Kremlin entices them with the promise of considerable money and attractive bonuses. Upon arrival at the army, however, they are confronted with the brutal reality and used as cannon fodder, says Petro Jazenko from the Ukrainian Coordination Council for Russian Prisoners of War. "In general, they are poor people who fight for money. They are mercenaries. And of course, there is no difference if they have experience, if they are specialists, highly qualified or not. They survive at the front only for a short time due to heavy shelling and drones."
Recruitment in Asia and Cuba
Russia has also recruited people for the war in Asian countries. The Nepalese government revealed at the beginning of the year that about 400 young Nepalese men had been sent to the front by the Kremlin. The true number could be much higher. CNN reported in February that up to 15,000 Nepalese were being used in the war in Ukraine. India's decision not to enlist Nepalese soldiers in the Indian army "could have encouraged Nepalese to look for work in Russia and elsewhere," analyzes Bloomberg. Sri Lanka's government also demanded the return of 800 of its citizens who were reportedly sent to the war with false promises.
The Russian conscript drive, unsurprisingly, has expanded its reach to Cuba. As stated by Jazenko from the Ukrainian platform Kyiv Independent, "The flow of Cuban troops remains undiminished, as Russian recruiters experience a sense of freedom there." In this sociallyist Caribbean nation, a year of military service with potential Russian citizenship presents an attractive escape route from poverty. Reports suggest that Russia's recruitment efforts are thriving in Cuba, as well as in Serbia, which hasn't implemented sanctions against Russia yet.
Russia is in dire need of fresh recruits, given the British Defense Ministry's estimate of around 1200 daily casualties in May. To avoid full mobilization, Putin is keen on enticing individuals 'voluntarily' to join the frontlines.
The fate of Adil and other foreign soldiers in Ukraine remains unclear. Kyiv offers deserters monetary compensation. Their home countries, however, have no interest in their return. The allure of a lucrative employment opportunity in Moscow has faded. Typically, Russia shuns prisoner exchanges.
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Russia is also reportedly recruiting foreign mercenary groups, such as the Wagner mercenary group, to bolster its forces in Ukraine following heavy losses. According to reports, the Wagner group has been resorting to similar tactics, coercing prisoners, including foreigners, into joining the military.
In light of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the significant number of casualties, there have been reports of Russia compeling migrants and academics to serve on the battlefront. Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued decrees to ease the conditions for recruiting foreigners, offering them incentives such as high salaries, comprehensive social benefits, and Russian citizenship for themselves and their families.
