Russia has sent about 10,000 immigrants who recently obtained citizenship to the front lines in Ukraine, following increased efforts to enforce compulsory military registration among its new citizens, according to the head of the Russian Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Bastrykin.
He said that investigators have already registered over 30,000 such citizens who received citizenship but do not wish to register for military service.
"About 10,000 of them have already been sent to the zone of the special military operation," Bastrykin said, using the common Russian official terminology for describing the war.
He also reported that these immigrants were supposedly sent to serve in rear units engaged in the construction of fortifications.
The Russian authorities have sought to avoid a second wave of unpopular mobilization after the draft of 300,000 Russians in September 2022 sparked panic and a mass exodus from the country. Instead, they have tried to attract people to the army with lucrative contracts.
Additionally, Russia has intensified the recruitment of mercenaries in Global South countries. Russia offers a registration bonus of $2,000, a monthly salary of $2,200, and the promise of obtaining a Russian passport.