News Feed

Russian lawmakers push to allow foreigners with criminal records to serve in Russian military

1 min read
Russian lawmakers push to allow foreigners with criminal records to serve in Russian military
Russian law enforcement guard the Red Square near the Kremlin on June 24, 2023 in Moscow, Russia, amid the Wagner Group's ongoing armed rebellion in Russia. (Contributor/Getty Images)

Lawmakers from Russia's Tula Oblast have submitted a draft bill to the Russian State Duma to allow foreigners with a criminal record to serve in Russia's Armed Forces, the country's state-run news agency TASS reported on Jan. 12.

Regional lawmakers held an extraordinary meeting of the Tula Regional Duma on Friday to unanimously support draft legislation that would allow foreign citizens with criminal records to enter into military service contracts with Russia's Armed Forces. The legislation is now set to go to the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian Federal Assembly, for consideration.

In an explanatory note, lawmakers of the draft bill did not distinguish between the severity of crimes committed, noting that under current legislation Russian citizens who have committed crimes of different severity can serve in the military.

The draft bill, which establishes an implementation deadline of March 1, is latest move in Russia's attempt to mobilize foreign recruits to fight in Ukraine while trying to suppress domestic anti-mobilization sentiments.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing foreign nationals who join the Russian Armed Forces the ability to apply for Russian citizenship. Analysts have predicted that Putin will avoid decisions that irritate Russia's electorate ahead of the upcoming Russian presidential election, including the issue of mass mobilization, despite a dwindling number of recruits in Ukraine.

Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksii Danilov warned in November that Russia may begin full mobilization after the 2024 Russian presidential election.

Avatar
Dmytro Basmat

Senior News Editor

Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.

Read more
News Feed

"The stolen data includes confidential questionnaires of the company's employees, and most importantly, full technical documentation on the production of drones, which was handed over to the relevant specialists of the Ukrainian Defense Forces," a source in Ukraine's military intelligence told the Kyiv Independent.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called upon the EU to take action against Ukraine's conscription practices in an interview with Origo published on July 15, amid an ongoing dispute with Kyiv over the death of a Ukrainian conscript of Hungarian ethnicity.

Show More