British Intelligence: Russia deploying migrants from Central Asia to frontline To avoid drafting politically active citizens

The British Defence Intelligence has revealed that the Russia is sending thousands of migrants from Central Asia to the frontline in Ukraine as part of a strategic effort to avoid drafting politically active individuals into the military.

The ministry shared analysis on its official X account, Caliber.Az reports.

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The British intelligence report highlights a statement made by Alexander Bastrykin, Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum on June 27, 2024. Bastrykin disclosed that Russian authorities have identified 30,000 migrants who recently gained Russian citizenship and are not yet on the military register.

According to the British intelligence assessment, the Russian government’s use of these new citizens for military service is a deliberate move to circumvent the inclusion of individuals who might be more politically engaged or resistant to the war effort. By deploying these migrants, the Kremlin aims to mitigate internal dissent and maintain control over the more politically active segments of the population.

“While speaking at the St Petersburg International Legal Forum, on 27 June 2024, the head of the Russian Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin claimed that Russian authorities had identified 30,000 migrants who had recently become Russian citizens who were not registered for military service. Bastrykin further boasted that 10,000 of these had already been sent to the operational zone in Ukraine. Bastrykin claimed these migrants would ‘dig trenches’ and conduct other duties in rear areas.

Russian independent media has previously reported that Russian law enforcement have been conducting a campaign of legal harassment against, particularly Central Asian, migrants in an attempt to induce them to enlist in the Russian armed forces in return for citizenship or to avoid arrest on invented charges. This is likely yet another inventive means of bolstering military recruitment while attempting to limit the impact on those parts of the Russian population that have greater political agency,” a post by the ministry says.