British intelligence claims that Russia is recruiting Central Asian migrants as soldiers

British intelligence claims that Moscow is avoiding recruiting Russians to bolster its armed forces for the Ukrainian war and is instead enlisting Central Asian migrants and individuals from neighboring countries as soldiers.

According to the UK’s Defence Ministry, there are at least 6 million migrants from Central Asia in Russia, and the Kremlin sees them as potential recruits for the conflict. The ministry noted that Russia is keen to prevent another unpopular general mobilization, particularly in the lead-up to next year’s presidential elections.

This strategy enables the Kremlin to acquire additional personnel for its war effort while sidestepping further unpopular domestic mobilization measures in the run-up to the 2024 presidential elections, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Although Russia has not officially disclosed casualty figures, US officials have asserted that Russian military casualties are approaching 300,000, with as many as 120,000 deaths and up to 180,000 injuries.

Reportedly, since late June, Russia has placed military advertisements targeting individuals from Armenia and Kazakhstan, primarily ethnic Russians from the Kostanay region. These ads offer down payments of 45,000 rubles ($5,140) and starting salaries of 190,000 rubles ($1,973). In addition, fast-track citizenship is being offered if individuals join the fight in Ukraine, with potential salaries of up to $4,160.

The UK Ministry of Defence pointed out that there are over six million Central Asian migrants in Russia, all of whom are viewed as potential recruits by the Kremlin.

By exploiting foreign nationals, Moscow can bolster its war effort in the face of increasing losses, according to the British Ministry of Defence.

It’s noteworthy that the British Ministry of Defence has been providing daily updates on the progress of the Russian war in Ukraine since the conflict’s inception. These updates have drawn criticism from Moscow, which accuses London of spreading disinformation.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, speaking on Sunday, stated that Moscow had recruited around 280,000 individuals into the army since the beginning of the year. According to him, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported that these recruits included reservists, volunteers, and individuals from various categories.

These developments reflect ongoing efforts by Russia to address manpower shortages in its military operations in Ukraine.