Russian security forces are increasingly forcibly mobilizing labor migrants from Central Asian countries and forming separate units from them, which are then deployed to the most dangerous sections of the front.
This was reported on Facebook by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
Representatives of the Russian army deceive foreign nationals — particularly citizens of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan — with promises of quick earnings through short-term military contracts.
“In reality, the chances not only of earning money but even of surviving are minimal. Most of these ‘volunteers’ are killed,” the intelligence agency noted.
For example, recently two mercenaries from Uzbekistan were killed:
- Umarov Sirozhiddin Sabirdzhanovich, a private of the 164th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (military unit 11740), dog tag AB-986480, born in Tashkent on March 19, 1984.
- Kholbuvzoda Mukhammad Faizullo, call sign “Basmach,” a private of the 1st Motorized Rifle Regiment (military unit 31135), dog tag AB-052894, born on January 28, 1984. He signed his contract on February 25, 2025.
Separate units are formed from these mobilized migrants and are primarily used in the most hazardous areas of the battlefield.
"Even if they survive frontline service, these combatants cannot return to a normal life: in their home countries, they face criminal prosecution for participating in the armed forces of a foreign state — with the prospect of long-term imprisonment," the intelligence agency noted.