The UK’s Ministry of Defence has reported that Russian military recruiters are targeting Central Asian migrant workers in Russia to fight in Ukraine. The Ministry has indicated that recruiters are visiting mosques and immigration offices to recruit migrants. Staff who speak Tajik and Uzbek are reportedly attempting to recruit migrants at immigration offices.
Offering Attractive Incentives
According to Radio Free Europe, recruiters are offering sign-up bonuses of up to USD $2,390 and salaries of up to USD $4,160 per month. Migrants are also being offered a fast-track to Russian citizenship in six months to one year, instead of the usual five years.
Part of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Plan
The Russian Defense Ministry’s target is to recruit 400,000 volunteers to fight in Ukraine. The ministry has been using this approach, as mandatory mobilization announcements could fuel dissent within the country. Recruits are likely to be sent to the Ukrainian frontlines, where the casualty rate is extremely high.
In other news, Russian missile strikes in Ukraine’s southern Black Sea port city of Odesa hit a food warehouse and a recreation center. Five people were injured in Kyiv as Russia launched a new wave of strikes against Ukrainian cities. Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin has backed down from his threat to leave the war-ravaged city of Bakhmut in light of insufficient ammunition supplies. Moscow is still going ahead with Victory Day celebrations on Tuesday, which include a major military parade, to celebrate the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.
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