Ukraine Says Moscow Recruits Foreign Citizens Given Russians’ Refusal to Go to War

Aug. 17 () –

The Ukrainian authorities have assured this Wednesday that in the absence of Russian citizens willing to go to war against Ukraine, the Kremlin has begun the recruitment process among foreign citizens, while in Chechnya “volunteers” are trained to go to the front.

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry maintains that Russian local authorities have instructed officials and security forces to carry out propaganda work to recruit foreign citizens to form new Army units.

According to the information handled by kyiv, those who access, in addition to a salary, are offered Russian citizenship. The plan is especially aimed at citizens from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

In turn, the intelligence services of the Ministry of Defense maintain that the Chechen authorities are forcibly recruiting young “volunteers” from rural areas to send to the front, under threat of initiating criminal charges against them if they do not comply.

“The practice of kidnapping men to replenish volunteer military units fighting in Ukraine at Moscow’s will is causing waves of discontent among residents of Chechnya,” the kyiv report said.

“The citizens of the republic are outraged” that Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is sending Muslim youths “to participate and die in a ‘foreign’ war between two Christian nations.”

The participation of foreigners in the war in Ukraine has been one of the most controversial points of the conflict. On the Russian side, the presence of citizens of Central Asian countries is suspected, while kyiv has not only confirmed the presence of foreigners in its ranks, but has also applied an open-door policy to all those who wanted to intervene on its side.

The call from kyiv, according to Kremlin estimates, has been heard at some point since the invasion of Ukraine began on February 24 by at least 7,000 fighters from up to 60 countries, especially the British, Americans, Poles, Canadians and the Nordic nations.