Russia Sends Thousands of Migrants to the Frontline, British Intelligence Claims

Moscow is sending thousands of migrants from Central Asia to the front lines in Ukraine to prevent politically active individuals from being deployed, according to a report from the British Ministry of Defense on social media platform X.

In a statement at the International Legal Forum in St. Petersburg on June 27, 2024, Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Russian Investigative Committee, announced that Russian authorities had identified 30,000 migrants who recently became Russian citizens and are not registered for military service. Bastrykin also boasted that 10,000 of these migrants have already been sent to Ukraine, claiming they would be tasked with digging trenches and performing various duties in the rear.

According to British intelligence, independent Russian media previously reported that security forces are undertaking a campaign of legal violations against migrants, particularly targeting those from Central Asia, in an attempt to coerce them into enlisting in the Russian army in exchange for citizenship or risk being jailed on false charges.

“This is apparently yet another clever method to promote military conscription while trying to limit the influence of the more politically active segments of the Russian population,” the British Ministry of Defense noted.

It is worth recalling that the Kremlin is attempting to avoid a second wave of unpopular conscription, following the panic induced by the call-up of 300,000 Russians in September 2022, which forced many to flee the country. Instead, authorities are trying to recruit people into the military for money, while simultaneously pressuring migrants to fight in Ukraine.