Kazakhstan Says Talks Underway to Bring Russia’s Kazakh Fighters Home

The Kazakh Foreign Ministry announced on October 6 that negotiations are taking place with Russia to repatriate Kazakh citizens serving in Russian forces during the Ukraine conflict. Officials are currently vetting each case received via the ministry's hotline, which continues to receive appeals from concerned family members. Once verification is complete, a list will be sent to Russia.

Officials are already taking measures concerning individuals who have publicly appealed for their return via social media. It remains unclear how many people will be on the final list and whether Russia will agree to their release. The negotiations follow appeals from young Kazakh men, whose families claim they were lured to Russia under false pretenses and forced into military service.

Some geolocation data suggests these men were transported to the northern Russian-occupied Luhansk region near Ukraine. Miras Tasharganov's mother told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that her son was pressured to sign a contract and subsequently enlisted. Another Kazakh citizen, Ainabek Keldibek, claimed he was prepared for deployment to Ukraine after completing his compulsory service.

However, these claims have not been independently verified, and Russia has not commented on the allegations. The Ukrainian government's "I Want to Live" project estimates that at least 2,420 Kazakh citizens have signed contracts with Russia's Defense Ministry, though this figure cannot be independently confirmed. Kazakhstan has sought to maintain its relationship with Russia while expressing deep concern over the invasion and the recruitment of its citizens.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev even implored Putin to end the war and return to negotiations. Despite the ongoing tensions, Kazakhstan maintains significant economic and strategic ties with Russia, including energy, space, and commercial projects.