The foreigners doing the dying in Ukraine

In the latest dustup over foreign fighters dying for Russia in Ukraine, New Delhi wants the Kremlin to send home the remains of two Indians killed in the war.

The demands follow earlier complaints from India – which has maintained close ties with Moscow – that Russian recruiters are luring Indian citizens into the fight under false pretenses.

Indians aren’t alone. Over the past year, with Russian casualties climbing, Moscow has recruited thousands of fighters from countries across Central Asia, South Asia, and Africa. Recruiters offer $2,000 per month and promise either to fast-track Russian passports (or to revoke Russian visas for people already in the country).

The Kremlin also recruits from Russian jails – a new study says 88% of Russian casualties in the battle of Bakhmut last fall were plucked from prisons.

Why is the Kremlin recruiting foreigners and jailbirds? Simple: Russia’s advances in Ukraine have come at a huge human cost, and President Vladimir Putin doesn’t want more of his own shrinking population to bear the brunt.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, of course, can relate: Ukraine, facing its own manpower shortfalls, says 20,000 fighters are in its foreign legion, and Kyiv has relied heavily on foreigners for training.