Iraq arrests 17 over 'forced recruitment' for Russian army

Iraqi authorities announced on Thursday the arrest of 17 people accused of recruiting Iraqis to fight for the Russian army, as Baghdad confirmed it had opened contacts with Ukraine to recover Iraqi nationals captured while fighting for Moscow.

In recent months, videos circulated on social media showing Iraqi men in Russian military uniforms fighting alongside what appears to be mercenary units on the Ukrainian front line.

The footage sparked widespread public concern, prompting the government to launch an investigation and task several agencies with dismantling recruitment networks.

Iraq’s National Security Advisory said two of the 17 suspects had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Najaf, while the remaining detainees are still on trial.

Saeed al-Jiyashi, a member of the committee tasked with combating the recruitment of Iraqis into the Russian army, said authorities had held meetings with the Russian ambassador in Baghdad and other relevant institutions to review the case.

According to al-Jiyashi, young Iraqi men were lured to Russia through study or work contracts that later turned into forcible drafting into the Russian military upon arrival in Moscow.

He added that Iraq's Ministry of Higher Education had suspended scholarships and study programmes to Russia for 2026 to prevent students from falling victim to recruitment networks.

The Iraqi government has approved plans to send a delegation to both Moscow and Kyiv to address the issue at a political level. Officials confirmed that some Iraqis who enlisted with Russian forces are now prisoners in Ukraine, and Baghdad is working to secure their return.

The Iraqi government will send a message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding their repatriation.

A hotline has also been established through the Iraqi embassy in Moscow to assist Iraqis in Russia, provide temporary travel documents and facilitating their return. Several Iraqis have already been repatriated, officials said.

Authorities say there is no confirmed figure for the total number of Iraqis recruited, noting that the numbers fluctuate.

In December, Iraq's national security adviser Qassem al-Araji said "hundreds" had joined the war, while Prime Minister's adviser Hussein Allawi estimated that around 5,000 Iraqis had been recruited since the conflict began.

Russia's ambassador to Iraq, Elbrus Kutrashev, previously acknowledged that such cases exist but described them as individual and limited.

He said that the embassy had issued visas to relatives of Iraqis killed while fighting for Russia to allow them to retrieve the bodies.