Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev has said his ministry is aware of cases in which Kyrgyz citizens in Russia are being coerced into fighting in the war against Ukraine. According to the minister, the ministry tries to bring such migrants home, Kaktus.media reports.
The issue of Kyrgyz citizens being forced to fight was raised at a meeting of the Zhogorku Kenesh (parliament) committee on international affairs, defense, security and migration, which the foreign minister attended. In particular, lawmaker Aibek Altynbekov described a case in which Russian authorities forced a citizen of the Central Asian republic to sign an army contract before a court ruling had been issued. Soon afterward, the man ended up in a training camp.
Kulubaev replied that his ministry reviews such cases if citizens seek help in time.
«In military enlistment offices or pretrial detention centers, they are forced to sign contracts. If we receive information in time, we intervene. That way, we have managed to stop many migrants from being sent to the front,» the foreign minister responded.
However, the minister did not specify how many Kyrgyz citizens have been saved from deployment or brought back from the combat zone.
According to Kulubaev, the situation is complicated by the fact that some citizens do not tell even their relatives that they have signed contracts with Russia's Defense Ministry. As a result, diplomats are also unaware that forced recruitment has taken place.
«Only later do their parents find out and come to us. When we receive such complaints, we try to contact them through our embassy in Ukraine and help them get out,» the minister added.
He lamented that in some cases it becomes known that a migrant fought on Russia's side only after he has been wounded or killed. Because it is easier to bring a person home before he is sent to the front, the minister urged families to contact Foreign Ministry staff promptly.
«If we know which military unit and where the person is, we try to help,» Kulubaev concluded.
Earlier, another Central Asian country, Kazakhstan, appealed to Russia's Foreign Ministry for help in returning citizens who ended up in the Russian army.
As of 2026, more than 12,500 people from Central Asian countries have fought against Ukraine on the side of Russian forces. Uzbekistan and Tajikistan account for the largest number of mercenaries. More than 1,500 Kyrgyz citizens have also reportedly taken part in combat.
