Already 20,000 foreign nationals who have obtained Russian citizenship have been sent to the "frontline" in Ukraine. The Head of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin stated this during a session titled "All Flags Visiting Us? Legal Challenges of Migration Regulation" at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF).
According to Bastrykin, those 20,000 people represent a quarter of the total number of migrants with Russian citizenship detained during raids.
“We have already caught 80,000 such citizens of Russia who not only refuse to go to the frontline but also do not want to report to military recruitment offices. […] They have been registered for military service, and already 20,000 young Russian citizens, who for some reason do not want to live in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, are on the frontline,” RBC quotes the head of the Investigative Committee.
Bastrykin also spoke about the level of crime among migrants, advocated for mandatory biometrics for them, opposed the arrival of their families to live in Russia, and discussed the investigation of the terrorist attack at the "Crocus" venue.
Main points from the Investigative Committee head's statements (according to Kommersant):
- From January to March 2025, the number of crimes committed by migrants in Russia increased by 15% compared to the same period last year.
- In 2024, the crime rate among migrants in Russia decreased by almost 1%.
- In 2024, the Investigative Committee of Russia initiated 918 criminal cases related to crimes by officials in the migration sector.
- A characteristic feature of the migration environment is its radicalization. A significant number of migrants show no desire to integrate into Russian society.
- Mandatory biometric registration must be introduced for all migrants entering the country.
- All issues related to housing, health insurance, and medical services for migrants in Russia must be fully covered by employers.
- The most important principle is the impossibility of migrants arriving with their families—no wives, children, grandmothers, or husbands. Labor migrants come to Russia exclusively to work.
- Internal migration should be actively developed, and mandatory requirements for employers to prioritize hiring Russian citizens should be established, along with ensuring decent guarantees and wages for Russian specialists.
- The criminal case on the terrorist attack at "Crocus" lists over 2,300 victims.
- The terrorist attack at "Crocus" resulted in 147 deaths, with three people missing.
- The total damage caused by the terrorist attack is estimated at 6 billion rubles.
- The criminal case on this episode consists of 500 volumes and will soon be sent to court. Investigators conducted about 300 inspections and more than 2,500 forensic examinations.
- Nineteen people have been detained in the case, including four executors of the terrorist attack—the criminal group acted in an organized manner (previously, Bastrikin said there are 27 defendants in the case).
