Ukraine Publishes List of Kazakhstanis Fighting for Russia

Ukraine has released a list naming over 600 Kazakhstani citizens allegedly fighting on the side of Russia in its ongoing war, Orda.kz reports.

The list was made public by the Ukrainian government-backed center “Hochu Zhyt" ("I want to live" – Ed.), which operates under the Ministry of Defense and the Main Intelligence Directorate.

According to their data, 661 Kazakhstanis have participated in the war since 2022, with at least 78 reported killed. The center cites anonymous sources within the Russian military command as the basis for the information.

We want to stress that mercenary activity is a criminal offense under Kazakhstani law. Those who survive service in the Russian army risk facing 12 to 17 years in prison with property confiscation upon returning home, the center said in its statement. 

The Ukrainian initiative noted this list is the first in a planned series of reports focused on foreign nationals fighting for Russia. The statement also referenced Orda.kz’s earlier article from autumn 2024, which investigated ethnic Kazakhs killed in the conflict.

The “I Want to Live” project was launched at the start of the full-scale war and is primarily aimed at encouraging Russian soldiers to surrender.

In January 2025, a resident of Kazakhstan’s Ulytau region who served with Russia’s Wagner PMC was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison. Several other Kazakhstanis are known to have died in the fighting.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin