Relatives of Elistan Toktogulov. Still from video
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan has sent a diplomatic note to its Russian counterparts requesting the prompt repatriation of a Kyrgyz citizen, identified as E.T., who ended up in a Russian military unit, the ministry’s press service reported.
The ministry stated that the Kyrgyz national was recruited into the Russian armed forces «as a result of fraudulent actions by unidentified individuals.» Alongside the diplomatic note, the foreign ministry sent requests to relevant Russian authorities asking them to investigate the incident, identify the perpetrators, and hold them legally accountable.
The Kyrgyz Embassy in Moscow is closely monitoring the situation and remains in contact with the relatives of E.T.
At the same time, Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Ministry advised citizens to thoroughly examine the terms of employment contracts and agreements before signing to avoid adverse repercussions, emphasizing that special attention must be paid to clauses outlining assumed obligations.
The ministry acknowledged that efforts to repatriate E.T. began after social media posts surfaced detailing his ordeal. While the ministry disclosed only his initials, online video clips make it clear that the individual is 21-year-old Elistan Toktogulov.
A few days ago, his relatives in the city of Manas (known as Jalal-Abad until September 2025) recorded a video appeal to the Kyrgyz authorities. In the video, they explained that the young man found a job advertisement for work in Russia on Instagram and contacted a fellow Kyrgyz citizen residing there. The recruiter offered Elistan several positions—ranging from truck driver to security guard—promising a monthly salary of up to 110,000 rubles (nearly $1,350).
Drawn by the offer, Elistan traveled to Russia. Instead of civilian employment, however, he was sent to a military base. According to his relatives, Toktogulov is currently at a training ground in Russia’s Voronezh region, undergoing military preparation before being deployed to the war in Ukraine.
In October of this year, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev stated that his ministry is aware of cases where Kyrgyz nationals in Russia were coerced into joining the war. He noted that in such situations, the foreign ministry seeks to bring the migrants home, though he did not specify how many citizens have been kept from the front lines or evacuated from the conflict zone.
According to 2026 data from the Ukrainian project «I Want to Live,» more than 12,500 Central Asians have fought on the side of Russian forces against Ukraine. The largest shares of fighters originate from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, while Kyrgyzstan ranks third, with over 1,500 citizens taking part in combat operations.
