As Russia looks to replenish its forces nearly four years into its war in Ukraine — while avoiding another politically risky nationwide mobilization — the Kremlin has turned to an expansive recruitment strategy that blends cash incentives, prisoner releases and promises of citizenship, including to foreigners.
For many Russians, enlisting offers a financial windfall far above average wages. For inmates, it can mean early release from brutal prison conditions. For migrants and foreign nationals, it may come with fast-tracked Russian citizenship. The requirement is the same: signing a contract to fight in Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin has resisted ordering a full-scale mobilization since the limited 2022 call-up of 300,000 men triggered a mass exodus abroad. Instead, Moscow has leaned heavily on what it describes as voluntary enlistment. Putin claimed last month that around 700,000 Russian troops are currently fighting in Ukraine — a figure he has repeated since 2024, though it cannot be independently verified.
Casualty numbers remain closely guarded. Britain’s Defence Ministry has estimated that more than one million Russian soldiers may have been killed or wounded. Independent investigations by Mediazona and the BBC have confirmed the deaths of more than 160,000 Russian troops, including over 550 foreign nationals from more than two dozen countries.
Heavy incentives, open-ended contracts
The Russian government and regional authorities have rolled out generous bonuses, tax breaks and debt relief to attract recruits. In the Khanty-Mansi region, enlistment packages can reach roughly US$50,000 — more than twice the average annual income there.
While contracts are often marketed as fixed-term, activists say they are automatically extended indefinitely under a 2022 presidential decree that bars soldiers from quitting service unless they are injured or reach age limits.
Human rights groups also allege that conscripts — men aged 18 to 30 completing mandatory service — are frequently pressured into signing contracts that send them to the front, despite official claims they are exempt from deployment to Ukraine.
Prisoners and pretrial detainees recruited
Russia has also expanded recruitment among prisoners and suspects in pretrial detention, a practice popularized early in the war by the late Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and later adopted by the Defence Ministry. Laws now allow both convicted criminals and suspects awaiting trial to enlist in exchange for dropped charges or commuted sentences.
Foreigners drawn — and deceived
Foreign nationals have become a growing recruitment pool. Laws now offer accelerated citizenship to foreigners who sign military contracts, and in some cases, military service has been made mandatory for certain residency applicants.
Officials in countries including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Kenya, South Africa and Iraq say their citizens were misled by recruiters promising civilian jobs in Russia, only to be coerced into military service after arrival. Cuban authorities previously said they dismantled a trafficking ring that funneled recruits to Russia under false pretenses.
Nepal’s foreign minister said hundreds of Nepali citizens were recruited and sent to Ukraine, prompting Kathmandu to ban travel to Russia and Ukraine for work. India said at least 35 of its nationals were duped into joining the Russian army, some suffering serious injuries. During a 2024 visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Moscow agreed to discharge Indians who had been misled.
Iraqi officials estimate around 5,000 Iraqis have joined Russian forces, with an unknown number killed or missing. Baghdad has since cracked down on recruitment networks, sentencing at least one trafficker to life in prison.
“Dispensable” fighters and rising costs
Foreign recruits are particularly vulnerable, said Anton Gorbatsevich of the activist group Idite Lesom (“Get Lost”), which helps soldiers desert. Many do not speak Russian, lack military training and are viewed as expendable by commanders.
Ukraine estimates more than 18,000 foreign nationals have fought for Russia, with nearly 3,400 killed. Hundreds from about 40 countries are currently held as prisoners of war.
Analysts say the Kremlin’s increasingly creative recruitment tactics underscore the mounting strain on Russia’s manpower and finances. Kateryna Stepanenko, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, said recruitment has become “extremely expensive” as Russia’s economy slows.
While foreigners and prisoners help fill the ranks, experts say most recruits are still Russian citizens — and that sustaining the war effort without another mass mobilization is becoming costlier by the month.
