The bodies of two Tajik citizens who fought in Ukraine on behalf of Russia have been returned home. This was reported by Current Time with reference to the Migrant Media project. According to sources, both deceased were natives of the Ishkashim district in the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) of Tajikistan.
So far, journalists have only been able to identify one of them — 36-year-old Sodiq Qambarov. According to his relatives, he fought in Ukraine as part of the Russian army, where he was killed. The official date of Qambarov’s death is listed as July 18.
The identity of the second deceased has not yet been revealed by local authorities, nor have the circumstances of his death. Migrant Media has sent an official inquiry to the district administration for further details but has not yet received a response.
“Both men had lived and worked in Russia in recent years, where they were apparently recruited and sent to the combat zone,” reports Current Time.
In response, the Ishkashim district administration warned local residents about the ban on participating in foreign military conflicts.
“One of the factors causing concern for every citizen of Tajikistan today is the participation of our citizens in wars on behalf of foreign states. This is deeply alarming and frightening. The actions of these compatriots harm the reputation of Tajikistan and the Tajik people on the world stage. It is primarily the result of the efforts of interested groups from certain states, exploiting the naivety, inexperience, and ignorance of some of our youth,” the Ishkashim district authorities said in a statement.
According to reports from the BBC and Mediazona, by September of this year, 51 Tajik citizens had been killed in the war in Ukraine. The total number of Russian military fatalities reportedly stands at 68,000.
