Asia-Plus: Хочу жить 930 граждан TJ в армию РФ для войны Украина

Asia-Plus (Russian edition), 24 April 2025. The article reports on data published by the Ukrainian state project “Khochu Zhit” (Хочу жить / “I Want to Live”) concerning Tajik citizens recruited into Russia’s armed forces to fight in Ukraine. According to the article, the list published on the project’s Telegram channel contains the names of 931 Tajik citizens, of whom at least 196 are listed as killed. The article quotes the project’s authors saying Tajikistan is “the main record-holder” for the number of citizens signing contracts with the Russian army among Central Asian states, with data as of early 2025. The article reports that the youngest listed recruit was 18 years and 3 months old and the oldest was 70; one killed recruit had served only 7 days after signing his contract; the project’s estimated average lifespan at the front is about 140 days. The article reports the project’s claim that many were recruited through deception, coercion or threat of deportation while in Russia illegally, making them “ideal targets for military recruiters.” The article notes Khochu Zhit is described as a Ukrainian state project of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, created with support from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and Main Directorate of Intelligence to help Russian and Belarusian military personnel safely surrender. The article cites previous publications on Kazakh and Kyrgyz citizens, with responses from Kazakh consul Baurzhan Begalimov (Бауржан Бегалимов) and chargé d’affaires Yermek Katrenov (Ермек Катренов), and notes Kazakhstan’s MVD warned of criminal liability. The article reports that Tajik authorities have avoided public comment, with only an August 2023 statement by MVD head Ramazon Rakhimzoda (Рамазон Рахимзода) saying about 100 Tajik citizens serving sentences in Russian prisons were sent to war in Ukraine. The article also cites earlier reports that Tajiks also volunteer, attracted by Russian citizenship, high payments and benefits, and reminds that participation in foreign hostilities is criminalised in Tajikistan under Article 401 (“Mercenarism”), carrying up to 20 years’ imprisonment.