Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Kenya have publicly reported cases of their citizens being recruited to fight against Ukraine and are seeking to bring them home. According to testimonies from relatives and statements by government officials, men who travel to Russia for work are being deceived into joining the Russian army or forced to sign military contracts. The issue is increasingly becoming a diplomatic matter, with some countries considering such cases potential instances of human trafficking.
Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev acknowledged that his ministry has received reports of Kyrgyz citizens being forced to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence. According to him, this occurs in military recruitment offices and pre-trial detention centres, among other places. When information reaches the authorities in time, diplomats attempt to prevent people from being sent to the front line.
Kazakhstan is also holding talks with Russia to secure the return of its citizens from the combat zone. According to Kazakh diplomats, the ministry responds to requests from individuals seeking to return home. These appeals have been prompted, among other things, by accounts of men who travelled to Russia for employment but ended up in the Russian army. Relatives of one Kazakh citizen said that after he and other workers complained about working conditions, they were taken to a military recruitment office and forced to sign contracts.
Similar cases have also been reported in Africa. Kenya, in particular, is seeking the return of its citizens who fought on Russia's side and were subsequently captured by Ukrainian forces. Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi said the men had been promised jobs as drivers, security guards or cooks, but instead found themselves serving in the Russian army.
The recruitment of foreign nationals for Russia's war against Ukraine is becoming not only a humanitarian issue but also a diplomatic problem for Moscow. Foreign governments are increasingly acknowledging publicly that their citizens have ended up in the Russian military under circumstances suggesting deception or coercion, and are demanding their return.
Cases that were previously regarded as problems affecting individual families are now becoming subjects of international negotiations and damaging Moscow's reputation, exposing the methods Russia uses to recruit foreign nationals for its war against Ukraine.
