Exclusive: Iraqis missing after fighting for Russia against Ukraine
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Families across several Iraqi provinces have reported losing contact with their relatives who traveled to Russia to fight alongside its forces in the war against Ukraine, ongoing since 2022.
A source close to the families told Shafaq News that a household from Dhi Qar has lost contact with their son for over six weeks since he left for Russia, amid reports of his death in combat, while another from southern Iraq reported their son was severely wounded in battle.
Some families, the source added, choose to conceal the deaths of their relatives, attributing their absence to car accidents or other incidents, while others approached Iraq’s embassy in Moscow, which pledged to clarify their sons’ status this week.
Under Russian law, foreign residents fluent in the language can legally sign enlistment contracts with the army, earning between $2,500 and $3,000 a month. Estimates suggest that since 2022, more than 5,000 Iraqis have been drawn into the conflict through coercion or deceptive offers.
Read more: The Desperate and the Damned: Why thousands of Iraqis are fighting in Ukraine
In an earlier interview with Shafaq News, Russia’s Ambassador to Iraq, Elbrus Kutrashev, clarified that only a small number of Iraqis had joined Russian units, noting that thousands were ready to enlist if given the opportunity. Meanwhile, lawmakers have urged the Foreign Ministry and the Iraqi Embassy in Moscow to monitor such cases closely.
