The wife of a 23-year-old Islomidin Rahmatov, who died in the Russia-Ukraine war, shared details of how her husband joined the Russian army and met his tragic end.  According to Sumaya Saidova, Rahmatov’s wife, he was influenced by a group on the Telegram messaging app to enlist in the Russian military.

In late September, media outlets reported the death of Islomidin Rahmatov in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Saidova, who recently returned to Tajikistan from Russia, spoke to Asia-Plus about how her husband joined the Russian army and died in combat.

How it all began

Saidova explained that Rahmatov was born in 2002 in Tajikistan, and at the age of nine, he moved with his parents to Russia, where he later received Russian citizenship.  He had three brothers and two sisters. Rahmatov attended a military school and served in the Russian army.  According to his wife, he was influenced by a Telegram group, which uses religious beliefs to lure people into signing contracts with the Russian military.

“There is a group on Telegram that manipulates people using religious views and convinces them to join the Russian army.  One of Islomidin’s friends invited him to join this group, and he was misled,” Saidova stated.

Enlisting and deployment

After signing a contract with Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Rahmatov was deployed to fight against Ukraine.  He was wounded in the leg and received a 21-day leave.  During his leave, Rahmatov and Saidova got married.  Afterward, he was called back to the front lines.  Saidova, at her husband's invitation, also traveled to Donetsk, where they spent some time together.  However, when he learned that he would be sent back to the front, she was sent back to Yuryev-Polsky, in the Vladimir region, on September 11.

She kept in touch with him until September 15, when his last message was: “I will stay alive.”  After that, he stopped responding.  Saidova and her family sought answers through various agencies, but with no success.  On September 17, one of Rahmatov’s friends informed Saidova that he had been killed in action.

Delayed return of the body

The Russian authorities handed over Rahmatov’s body with significant delays, only after numerous appeals. His body was returned on September 25.  “My husband was missing both legs and one arm.  His face was burned, making identification impossible.  I was the one who identified him.  On September 26, we buried him in Yuryev-Polsky,” Saidova recalled.

She added that one of her husband's friends, also from Tajikistan, died in the war as well, and only his arm was found.

Impact on family

Saidova, who is currently pregnant, stated that her husband's death has been a devastating blow and that she still has not recovered from the loss.  The only thing that gives her strength to continue is the expectation of her child.

How many Tajik citizens are fighting in Ukraine?

There have been previous reports of several Tajik citizens dying while fighting in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Some of their bodies were returned to Tajikistan, but the authorities in the country have yet to comment on the participation and deaths of their citizens in this war.

Recently, Tajikistan’s Prosecutor-General Habibullo Vohidzoda stated that no citizen of Tajikistan had been prosecuted for participating in the conflict in Ukraine.  “Some citizens have dual citizenship – Tajik and Russian.  When you accept the citizenship of a country, you are obliged to follow its laws and requirements.  Therefore, the question of participation depends on the individual’s citizenship, obligations, and decisions,” he said.

Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Tajik government has repeatedly urged its citizens not to join the conflict, warning that such involvement would lead to legal consequences and punishment.

The exact number of Tajik citizens fighting in the Russian army against Ukraine remains unknown.  However, according to Ukraine’s state project Khоchu Zhyt (I Want to Live), since the beginning of Russia's invasion, 930 Tajik citizens have been sent to fight for Russia, with at least 200 of them killed.

Earlier, the BBC and Mediazona investigation reported that 72 Tajik nationals had fought and died on Russia's side, making it the highest death toll among foreign mercenaries in the conflict.

The recruitment of Central Asians

It’s important to note that following the war’s start, Russia faced a severe shortage of soldiers and began actively recruiting foreign nationals, including those from Central Asia.  This recruitment often involved deception, coercion, exploitation of their difficult economic circumstances, and the use of their unclear immigration status.

According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, by June 2024, more than 10,000 labor migrants who had obtained Russian citizenship were sent to fight in Ukraine.