Elnur Enveroglu

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.