DUSHANBE, September 1, 2014, Asia-Plus — “The probability of involvement of Tajik mercenaries in Ukrainian armed conflict is very high,” Shokirjon Hakimov, the deputy leader of the Social-Democratic Party (SDP), told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, low living conditions of the majority of Tajikistan’s population and unemployment “may force some citizens of Tajikistan to participate in the Ukrainian armed conflict for certain payment.”
Hakimov expressed concerned that undereducated and impoverished Tajik migrants in Russia can be recruited to fight in Ukraine. He is sure that certain circles in Kyiv and Moscow may use financial incentives to lure Tajik migrants in Russia to fight in Ukraine.
He further added that he fully supported Tajik authorities’ position on Ukrainian crisis. “Friendly relations have been established between Tajikistan and Ukraine both in bilateral and multilateral format and Tajikistan ought to keep these relations,” Tajik expert noted.
Since the end of February 2014, demonstrations by pro-Russian, ultranationalist, and anti-government groups have taken place in major cities across the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, in the aftermath of the Euromaidan movement and the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. During the first stage of the unrest, Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation after a crisis in the region. Protests in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts escalated into an armed separatist insurgency. This led the Ukrainian government to launch a military counter-offensive against the insurgents, which resulted in the ongoing War in Donbass.
