Our Mass Media unwittingly pay attention to numerous announcements made by Russian recruiters inviting mercenaries from all over CIS countries, which announcements indicate Russia’s interest towards attraction of fresh cannon fodder. Once in a while, citizens of Kazakhstan are deployed to Ukraine.

Reuters report appearance of many appeals to “foreign brothers”. Those appeals contain Russian and Kazakh national banners and mottos – “Shoulder to Shoulder”. Specifically, those announcement promise payment of an “entrance bonus” in the amount of RR 495,000 and monthly salary in the amount of RR 190 thousand with various additional payments, — for participation in combat activities. Those promised remuneration sums suspiciously remind remunerations paid to military contractors in Moscow and Moscow Region.

A user might avail themselves of a web-site of the Sakhalin Region Human Capital Development Agency (official governmental body of Russia). That agency is, in virtue, a recruitment agency. Should you wish to join them, you will have to travel to Sakhalin.

Such internet ads were detected not only in the Kazakh sector of Internet, but in Armenia, as well.

All above may be explained by the fact that in January 2023, Russian Minister of Defense Shoigu announced plans of the Russian political leadership to increase the headcount of the Russian Armed Forces up to 1.5 million rifles in the next three years. Kazakh citizens are among those who replenish the ranks of the Russian military. Recently, a Kazakh national, sought for by relatives, made a public declaration about his voluntary choice to join PMC Wagner. In the last of June, the Kostanay Prosecution established that a Russian online recruitment agency were inviting residents of the region to take part in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In March 2023, a Kazakh Wagnerovite was buried in Semey. We have questions. For example, why, at all, do online headhunters are available in Kazakhstan, and why do citizens of Kazakhstan enroll into the ranks of the Russian military and PMCs – those who fight for questionable cause? They do so, despite criminal pursuit and incarceration awaiting them back in Kazakhstan – in some cases, mercenaries will face life detention. 

Google statistics report that residents of the North Kazakhstan, Karaganda, Kostanay, Akmola and East Kazakhstan provinces show the most active interest towards enrollment with the Russian military. In February, the online recruitment process became physical. Russian leadership announced they were recruiting volunteers from the town of Baykonur and promised to pay freshmen “entrance bonuses” in the amount of RR 260 thousand. 

Kazakh authorities, of course, produced their comments – they said that the announcement was made for Russian citizens domiciled in Baykonur. But messengers are swarming with detailed instructions about how Kazakhs can enroll with Russian PMC Wagner. Given what we saw, it appears that PMC enrollment is available to all people, except of citizens of Ukraine and countries of EU and NATO.

Recruits must comply with the a number of requirements – medical check up, package of documents, confirming legitimacy to join fighting Russia.  Important factors are age, professional backgrounds and criminal records.

If a person complies with all requirements, he is invited to an interview in Krasnodar Region of Russia. A recruit must have on him a smartphone or a video-camera. Recruits are only allowed to have vintage models of cellular phones. Despite measures of punishment, including life detention, or death in the battle, Kazakh citizens continue to enroll through online-resources. A big questions is why those resources are still available. 

Kazakh observers report that the National Security Committee could always shut those resources down, but to do that Kazakhstan will have to officially announce PMC Wagner illegal or terrorist. That has not been done, which means Kazakh authorities are not capable to take any action against recruitment. The only remaining factor of hope is that our people will show consciousness. Our people join Russian side of the conflict for several reasons. Some of them want to demonstrate their best features, as men. Some of them want to make money. For some of them, the Russo-Ukrainian war is reflection of their own beliefs. Those beliefs het heated up by Russian propaganda – television propagandists, like Vladimir Solovyev. Despite availability of information sources from the opposite, as well, some people in Kazakhstan only watch Russian propaganda.