The Kremlin has implemented a hybrid scheme for covertly recruiting foreigners to fight in the war
The Russian authorities have launched a new mechanism to bolster their occupation forces by exerting indirect pressure on foreign nationals.
The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine reported on this extensive system of “soft” coercion.
Instead of direct recruitment, Moscow is creating conditions under which military service becomes the only way to avoid deportation or prison.
The Kremlin artificially restricts migrants’ rights, forcing them to choose between legalization through a contract with the Russian Armed Forces and harsh administrative persecution.
“Since most countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America officially oppose the recruitment of their citizens into the Russian army, Moscow has chosen a workaround—artificially creating conditions under which staying in the country without a Russian passport becomes practically impossible. The only proposed solution is a contract with the Russian armed forces, which automatically opens the path to citizenship,” Ukrainian intelligence emphasizes.
This strategy allows the Russian leadership to formally avoid international accusations of using mercenaries.
In reality, however, foreigners are turned into “cannon fodder,” signing documents under the threat of reprisals against them and their families.
According to official data from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the scale of deportations of foreigners has increased significantly. In 2024, more than 157,000 people were forcibly removed from the country, which is 45% more than previous figures, and in 2025, the wave of pressure continued.
To tighten control, the Russian agency drafted amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses.
The new regulations significantly expand the list of grounds on which a foreigner can be held accountable and faced with a “choice”—the front lines or deportation.
Among the new tools of pressure are charges of extremism, threats to information security, and violations of religious legislation.
Even “abuse of freedom of speech” or participation in strikes can now serve as grounds for revoking a residence permit in the Russian Federation.
“The real goal of the mechanism is different: to force migrants seeking to normalize their families’ situation and avoid persecution to sign a contract on their own. Formally—no coercion, no recruitment. A person simply ‘chooses’ citizenship through service in the aggressor’s army,” the Foreign Intelligence Service notes.
As a reminder, the Russian Federation’s military losses have exceeded 1.27 million troops.
Russian troops are also seeking a replacement for Starlink and changing their tactics for using drones.
