Uzbek nationals form largest share of Central Asians in Russia’s war in Ukraine

Overall, nearly 13,000 individuals from across Central Asia are said to be participating on Russia’s side, with Uzbek nationals representing the largest identified group.

Ukraine’s state project “I Want to Live” said it has compiled personal data on 12,666 Central Asian nationals who, as of 2026, have signed agreements with Russia’s Ministry of Defense. The information was provided in response to a request from the “Ukraine–Central Asia” initiative.

According to the project’s data, 4,853 of the identified individuals are from Uzbekistan. Tajikistan follows with 3,407, Kazakhstan with 2,389, and Kyrgyzstan with at least 1,439. The lowest reported number is from Turkmenistan, at 578.

The project previously published a list of 5,740 individuals in 2025. The latest figures suggest that the number of identified individuals has increased significantly over the past year.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense has not publicly commented on or released data regarding the number of Central Asian nationals involved in the conflict.

The “I Want to Live” initiative, launched in 2022 by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense and military intelligence, provides channels for voluntary surrender and states that participants are treated in accordance with international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions.