Azernews.Az

Elnur Enveroglu

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The participation of Azerbaijani citizens and ethnic Azerbaijanis in Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine raises deeply troubling ethical, legal, and humanitarian questions. While Moscow describes the conflict as a special military operation, the realities on the ground expose a system that increasingly relies on coercion, financial desperation, and manipulation of vulnerable communities. For Azerbaijanis drawn into this war, whether as Russian citizens, migrant workers, or former veterans of the forty-four-day Patriotic War, participation is neither justifiable nor defensible.

How Russia exploits Azerbaijani migrants and veterans for its war

Some Azerbaijanis fighting on the Russian side are formally Russian citizens. Their legal status, however, does not absolve the Russian state of responsibility for the conditions under which recruitment takes place. Many are mobilised through pressure rather than genuine consent, facing limited alternatives in an environment where refusal can lead to social or economic punishment. Citizenship in this context becomes less a matter of civic duty and more a tool of enforced compliance.

A second group consists of Azerbaijani migrants working in Russia. This is where the moral failure of Russia's recruitment system becomes most apparent. Migrants often live under constant threat of deportation, police harassment, or loss of employment. Russian authorities and affiliated intermediaries exploit this vulnerability, presenting military service as a way to resolve residency problems, secure temporary protection, or earn quick money. The choice offered is false. It is not between service and opportunity, but between service and marginalisation.

Most disturbing of all is the involvement of Azerbaijani veterans of the Second Garabagh War. These individuals fought for their homeland, many carrying physical and psychological scars from that conflict. Their participation in a foreign war driven by imperial ambitions is unacceptable. Society and public figures must condemn this unequivocally. Veterans should be protected, rehabilitated, and honoured, not lured into another battlefield where their lives are treated as expendable.

Russia sells participation in the war as a financial transaction. Large signing bonuses, monthly payments, and promises of compensation are advertised aggressively. In reality, this is a system that puts a price on human life. For those struggling with debt or unemployment, the promise of money becomes a powerful lure. Russian banks and recruitment agencies reportedly use credit cards, instant loans, and deferred payments as incentives, effectively pushing individuals to mortgage their futures in exchange for frontline service. War becomes a consumer product, packaged and sold to the desperate.

The human cost of this system is evident in countless personal tragedies. One particularly stark case involved an Azerbaijani who lost both arms and legs while fighting in the special military operation. Despite his service, he was denied Russian citizenship for an extended period on the absurd pretext that fingerprints could not be taken. Only after sustained public pressure and media attention did authorities grant him citizenship in the spring of this year. This case exposes the hollowness of Russia's promises. Loyalty and sacrifice are rewarded not with dignity, but with bureaucratic cruelty.

For Azerbaijan, the implications are serious. Participation of its citizens in foreign wars for money risks damaging the national reputation and undermining international legal norms. Mercenarism is prohibited under Azerbaijani law, yet enforcement remains inconsistent. Law enforcement agencies must tighten sanctions and policies related to mercenary activity. Clear legal consequences are necessary not only as punishment, but as deterrence. Silence or ambiguity only enables further exploitation.

There is also a broader societal responsibility. Community leaders, public intellectuals, and influential figures must speak clearly against involvement in this war. Moral neutrality is not an option when lives are being traded for cash. Condemnation does not mean stigmatising individuals who were coerced or misled. It means holding accountable those who design and profit from this system.

Russia's war effort increasingly resembles a machine fuelled by human disposability. According to available statistical estimates, more than a thousand people are killed every day on the battlefield. This staggering figure underscores the scale of destruction and the indifference with which lives are consumed. In such a context, recruiting migrants and foreign nationals is not a sign of strength, but of desperation.

The war in Ukraine has become a test not only of military endurance but of moral boundaries. By drawing in vulnerable migrants, indebted workers, and war-scarred veterans, Russia crosses those boundaries repeatedly. Azerbaijanis must not become collateral in a conflict that serves no just cause and offers no real reward. Protecting human dignity requires clear legal action, public condemnation, and an unambiguous refusal to allow poverty and pressure to be weaponised.

This is not merely a question of geopolitics. It is a question of values.