According to British intelligence, Russian authorities have encouraged the recruitment of citizens of neighboring countries to fight in Ukraine. British intelligence attributes these efforts to a desire to avoid the political repercussions of a possible – and “unpopular” – mobilization at home. “Russia likely wants to avoid unpopular mobilization measures before the 2024 presidential election,” said the latest report from British experts shared by the Defense Ministry. To this end, the Russian authorities in Armenia and Kazakhstan have spread advertisements online offering 495,000 rubles (around 4,800 euros) as a down payment and a salary of 190,000 rubles (more than 1,800 euros).
In the case of Kazakhstan, targeted recruitment efforts were made in the Kostanai region, with appeals to the ethnic Russian population. In addition, since at least May last year, Russia has been luring migrants of Asian origin, offering them to join the troops in Ukraine in exchange for citizenship and salaries that can be more than 3,800 euros. British intelligence also indicated that in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which was occupied by Russian troops, Uzbek migrants, mostly working in construction, had their passports confiscated to pressure them to join the fighting. There are at least six million migrants from Central Asia in Russia alone, whom the Kremlin sees as “potential recruits,” according to British authorities. Trouble after trouble for Vladimir Putin.
