Nearly Half of Foreigners Identified in Russia's Army Are From Central Asia, Ukraine's "I Want to Live" Says

Russia has recruited 20,437 citizens of five Central Asian countries - Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan - for its war against Ukraine, according to data from Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project as of October 1, 2026. That is 44% of the 45,959 foreign nationals the project has identified as having signed contracts with the Russian army. The project also noted that more Central Asians are fighting in Russia's forces than there are servicemen in Tajikistan's army, which it puts at 9,500.

Doubling in 2025, and 2026 Is Already at 71% of That

Recruitment in the region has grown steeply. The project's figures for the five countries combined are 56 contracts in 2022, 1,396 in 2023, 4,119 in 2024, 8,497 in 2025, and 6,043 in the first nine months of 2026. The 2025 figure was 2.1 times the 2024 one, and the nine months of 2026 already amount to 71% of the 2025 total. The project says Russia finds it especially easy to recruit in neighbouring countries because of language, cultural, and migration ties. The table's total of 20,437 includes contracts with no known signing date, so it exceeds the sum of the yearly figures.

Country by Country

Uzbekistan has by far the most recruits: 8,207 since 2022, or 40% of the regional total, a number the project compares to the population of a small district town. Tajikistan follows with 5,308 (26%), then Kazakhstan with 3,819 (19%), Kyrgyzstan with 2,219 (11%), and Turkmenistan with 884 (4%). In Uzbekistan the yearly figure rose from 1,446 in 2024 to 3,487 in 2025, with 2,602 in the first nine months of 2026; in Tajikistan it went from 1,126 to 2,285, with 1,432 so far this year.

What Governments Can Do

The project said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Uzbekistan the day before its post, and that it hopes the recruitment of Central Asians for Russia's army was raised in meetings with regional representatives. It urged Central Asian governments to demand answers from Moscow about the fate of their citizens, to establish the circumstances of their recruitment, and to take steps to bring back those Russia has drawn into the war.

A Safe Way Out

Central Asians and other foreign nationals lured into Russia's armed forces have an option to safely escape the battlefield with Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. See our FAQ for recommendations for victims of Russian military recruitment and their families.