The Ukrainian project, I Want to Live, has published data on citizens of Tajikistan who were recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine on the side of Russia. The list, made public on the project's Telegram channel, includes the names of 931 Tajik citizens, 196 of whom are listed as deceased.
“According to the information we have, Tajikistan is the leading country in Central Asia in terms of the number of citizens who have signed contracts with the Russian army. Our list contains 931 individuals as of the beginning of 2025. And these are just the ones we know of," the authors of the message note.
According to official data confirmed by Ukraine, at least 196 people from this list have died. However, the number of fatalities may be higher.
The youngest among them was 18 years and 3 months old, and the oldest one was 70. One of the deceased served only for 7 days after signing the contract.
The average life expectancy of a Tajik contract soldier in this war, according to the project, is around 140 days.
The project emphasizes: “This is not a list of prisoners of war. This is a list of Tajik citizens who are or were fighting against Ukraine on the side of Russia.”
Many of them were tricked into joining the army, under pressure or the threat of deportation, as they were in Russia illegally, making them “perfect targets for recruiters.”
"We call on the authorities of the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as other CSTO countries, to pay attention to the recruitment of their citizens into the Russian army and hope for cooperation on this matter.
To all foreigners planning to fight for Russia, we remind you: no matter what the recruiter or the military commissar promises you, it's not worth risking your life in someone else's war far from home. You will be guaranteed to be deceived and sent to certain death," the authors of the project conclude.
I Want to Live Project is a Ukrainian state project of the Coordination Staff on Prisoner of War Affairs. It was created with the support of the Ministry of Defense and the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine to help Russian and Belarusian soldiers, as well as conscripts involved in the Russian war against Ukraine, to safely surrender.
Meanwhile, the authorities of Tajikistan avoid public comments on the involvement of its citizens in the conflict in Ukraine. It was only in August 2023 that the country’s Interior Minister, Ramazon Rahimzoda, addressed this issue for the first time, stating that around 100 Tajik citizens, who had been serving sentences in Russian prisons, were sent to fight in the war in Ukraine.
He added that Russian colleagues do not provide such information to Tajikistan, as data exchange on this matter is not included in the agreements between the two countries.
It should be noted that Tajik citizens do not only end up in the war in Ukraine involuntarily. There are also volunteers; some of them go to the combat zone while serving in the Russian Armed Forces, while others agree to sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense in exchange for promises of citizenship, high payments, and other benefits.
It is important to remember that in Tajikistan, the participation of its citizens in military actions abroad carries criminal liability. Article 401 (mercenary activities) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan prescribes up to 20 years in prison for this crime.
