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Russia Forces 20,000 Naturalized Migrants to Fight in Ukraine or Face Losing Citizenship
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russia has identified more than 80,000 naturalized migrants who failed to register for military service—and has already sent about a quarter of them to fight in Ukraine, according to Alexander Bastrykin, head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, The Moscow Times reported on May 20.
“Already 20,000 ‘new’ Russian citizens, who for some reason don’t like living in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, or Kyrgyzstan, are now on the front lines,” Bastrykin said during the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum.
According to Bastrykin, he has instructed Russia’s military investigative department, along with the Interior Ministry and National Guard, to carry out regular raids in areas with large migrant populations to track down draft dodgers.
He admitted that many migrants who have obtained Russian passports avoid military registration precisely because they fear being “sent to the front lines.”
Despite this, Bastrykin claimed some migrants have already become “heroes,” citing the case of a Tajik national who signed a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry in exchange for citizenship.
That individual, he said, participated in Russia’s military operation to “liberate” the border town of Sudzha in the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces during what Moscow dubbed Operation “Truba .”
Bastrykin has previously spoken about such raids, framing them as enforcement of the Russian Constitution and national laws.
He also noted that these crackdowns are prompting many foreign nationals to “quietly” leave Russia. He has described the campaign as a “feature” of Russia’s strategy for dealing with migrants and has repeatedly suggested prioritizing naturalized citizens for military service.
Under Russia’s law on military service, all citizens—including those who recently acquired Russian citizenship—must register for the draft within two weeks of receiving their passport.
In the summer of 2024, Russian lawmakers passed legislation allowing authorities to revoke citizenship from those who fail to do so. Since then, courts have begun stripping naturalized Russians of their citizenship at the request of law enforcement.
Earlier, the Russian government intensified its efforts to bolster its military forces, resorting to unconventional methods of recruitment, including the enlistment of prisoners, suspects, and individuals with legal or financial troubles.
