President Putin Issues Decret Of Citizenship Offers For Foreigners In War For Russia

Russian citizens who take part in the mass mobilization of the military. (Wikimedia Commons/men's

JAKARTA - President Vladimir Putin on Thursday published amenable foreign nationals fighting for Russia in Ukraine, gaining Russian citizenship for him and his family.

The order said people who had signed contracts during what Moscow called "special military operations" in Ukraine could apply for Russian passports for themselves and their partners, children and parents. They must provide documents proving they signed up for at least one year.

Those who qualify include people who have signed contracts with regular armed forces or other "military information", a description referring to organizations such as Wagner Group mercenaries.

The move seems aimed at creating additional incentives for foreigners who have military experience to register with the Russian military.

Moscow did not publish data on the number of foreigners fighting on its part on the Ukrainian battlefield. However, Reuters has reported earlier about Cubans registering for the military in exchange for bonuses equivalent to more than 100 times Cuba's average monthly salary, and three Africans recruited by Wagner, two of whom were killed in the war.

Meanwhile, an unclassified United States intelligence report assessed that the war in Ukraine had left 315,000 Russian troops dead and injured, or nearly 90 percent of Russia's number of personnel when the conflict began, sources familiar with the intelligence told Reuters last month.

Russia is known to deploy 300,000 additional troops in September 2022, in its first mobilization since World War Two. There has been constant speculation that it will repeat the unpopular move, perhaps after the next presidential election in March.

The Kremlin itself has repeatedly said there is no need for further mobilization, as hundreds of thousands of men signed voluntary contracts last year to become professional soldiers.

It is known, neither Russia nor Ukraine have disclosed the amount of their losses in the 22-month war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last month his military had proposed to mobilize another 450,000-500,000 people, and Kyiv parliament on Thursday began reviewing a contested bill that would tighten and expand mobilization rules.