16:01 / 14.07.2025

BBC: 66 Uzbeks killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine war

In a recent joint report by BBC and Mediazona, it was revealed that 66 Uzbek citizens have died fighting for the Russian army in its war against Ukraine. In total, 118,139 Russian soldiers are estimated to have been killed in the war, with over 500 of them being foreign nationals.

Foreign fighters serving with the Russian military came from 28 different countries. North Koreans may lead the death toll, with South Korean intelligence estimating up to 600 fatalities, although no official confirmation exists.

Among Central Asian countries, Tajikistan reported the highest number of deaths with 72 citizens killed, followed by Uzbekistan with 66. Of them, 46 Uzbeks and 43 Tajiks were recruited from prisons, allegedly promised sentence reductions in exchange for military service, primarily with the Wagner private military company.

Human rights activists say Russia uses coercion and incentives to recruit vulnerable migrants, offering them fast-tracked citizenship, entry clearance, or cancellation of deportation. Lawyers noted that many signed contracts with Russia’s Defense Ministry under duress.

Outside the former Soviet space, Nepal has suffered the most with 70 deaths and 50 missing persons. The Nepalese government has sent DNA samples to Russia to identify the dead.

Among former Soviet states, Georgia also reported losses — 63 citizens, mainly from the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Volunteers from the Caucasus included trained military professionals and ex-officers.

African nationals from Ethiopia, Zambia, the Central African Republic, Tanzania, and Togo were also among the foreign recruits. Sri Lanka’s government reported that 288 retired soldiers had joined Russia’s military, of whom 16 have died.

According to US intelligence, a handful of Americans have joined Russia’s forces, while up to 3,000 are fighting voluntarily for Ukraine. Meanwhile, 54 Ukrainian nationals, formerly registered in Ukrainian-controlled territories, died fighting for Russia.

These findings highlight the global scope of the war’s human toll, affecting not only Russia and Ukraine but migrants and recruits from across the world.