But This Is What I Really Mean! Russian Diplomatic Missions Deny Mobilizing Migrant Workers.

Russia’s announcement regarding the beginning of its “partial” mobilization on 21 September brought about yet another escalation in its war with Ukraine. Many experts see this move as a desperate attempt to replenish dwindling Russian forces on the backdrop of Ukraine’s counter-offensive reportedly gaining momentum.

President Vladimir Putin later signed into law the simplified procedure for acquiring citizenship for foreigners who have signed a contract to serve in the Russian army for at least a year. 

Both announcements spurred Central Asian Nations’ quick issuance of vague warnings about criminal liability for serving in foreign combat zones.

(See links: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). 

Kazakhstan has yet to make an official announcement, though Article 172 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (acts related to the deliberate illegal participation of citizens of Kazakhstan in armed conflicts or hostilities on the territory of any foreign states in the absence of signs of mercenarism) provides for a prison term of 5 to 9 years.

Kirill Kabanov, a member of the Russian Presidential Council for Human Rights (HRC), later announced an initiative on mandatory military service for people from Central Asian countries who have had Russian citizenship for less than ten years. He claimed refusal to serve should be grounds to strip them and their families of their Russian citizenship.

Kabanov dubbed the initiative as an ”adequate response” to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan’s prohibition on their citizens' ability to participate voluntarily in the Russian "special operation" in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, on October 2, Russia issued a deadline for foreign nationals with no grounds to stay to leave by October 12. The other option - “formalize their legal status” so as not to be subjected to the operation “Illegal”.

Russian authorities are also reportedly preparing to tighten responsibility for violating the regulations of staying in the country.

Where Are You From?

Peculiar events have been surfacing on the backdrop of the aforementioned events. For instance, a Kazakhstani citizen received a military summons in Saint Petersburg. The Kazakhstani Ministry of Foreign Affairs brushed it off as a “database error”.

Whether or not this was intentional or an error is up for debate. 

There has also been a case of a Russian police officer vehemently “requesting” Central Asians working in Russia to “go and serve” after insinuating that they came to "steal". 

The two men who committed what Russian authorities dubbed a “terrorist attack” at a Russian military training facility in the western Belgorod region on October 15 turned out to be Tajik nationals. Both “somehow” ended up at the training facility. One of their brothers would later tell Radio Ozodi about his brother just wanting to work.

In an event that may be related, human rights activist, Valentina Chupik, claimed that a young man called her on an IMO messenger on October 15. Chupik cannot confirm if the man who called her is related to one of the alleged shooters, but she initially thought this was the case.

The caller said that his brother had been held in IK-1 of the Bryansk region. The man claimed that his brother was severely beaten and threatened with sexual violence so he would sign a military contract. He also informed Chupik that he was told that his brother had been killed “because he was a terrorist”.

Chupik has also stated that Central Asians working in Russia are being tricked or forced into serving in the Russian military. 

Tell Me What You Really Mean 

All these instances make Russian diplomatic missions’ denial of mobilizing Central Asian migrants perplexing, to say the least. The denial may be nothing more than a superficial attempt to calm the waters. Albeit, the ambiguity of the actual decree on mobilization and Russian citizens being “conscripted by mistake“ are also notable. 

This all serves as proof that Moscow may not be directly trying "to mobilize" Central Asians, but the aforementioned events raise many questions.

The unclear discourse of Russian authorities, the strange circumstances surrounding Central Asian migrant workers, and a Kazakhstani citizen receiving a military summon along with a law specified for fast-tracking Russian citizenship status for those who serve are glaring examples of how actions speak louder than words.