Welcome to Central Asia in Focus, a newsletter offering insight and analysis on events shaping the region’s political future. I’m Bruce Pannier. In the final edition of Central Asia in Focus: More than 3,000 Central Asian citizens have joined the Russian military to fight in Ukraine, Kazakhstan follows Uzbekistan’s lead in offering “golden visas,” and more.

In the Region

Project Finds More than 3,000 Central Asians Joined the Russian Military

More than 3,000 citizens of Central Asian countries have joined the Russian military to fight in Ukraine, according to the I Want to Live (Hochu Zhit) project run by Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.

The Hochu Zhit project has been collecting and posting lists of the names of Central Asian nationals who signed contracts with the Russian army to serve in Ukraine.

On May 2, Hochu Zhit released figures for Turkmenistan, its latest list for Central Asian countries.

The list showed that 170 Turkmen citizens have enlisted in the Russian military, 27 of whom were confirmed as killed in action in Ukraine, as of the start of 2025.

Hochu Zhit began releasing its lists by country in early April.

Kazakhstan was first; there were 661 citizens of that country on Hochu Zhit’s list, 78 of whom were marked as killed in combat.

Most of the Central Asian citizens who have been joining the Russian military — knowing they would be sent to Ukraine — are migrant laborers in Russia.

Some were in Russian prisons and joined the Russian army to be released.

Unsurprisingly, citizens of Uzbekistan, who are by far the largest group of Central Asian migrant laborers in Russia, are the most numerous group on Hochu Zhit’s list.

According to the list, 1,110 Uzbek citizens signed Russian military contracts, with 109 of them confirmed as being killed in Ukraine.

Tajiks followed with 931 citizens listed as joining the Russian military, with at least 196 confirmed as killed.

Kyrgyzstan had 360 citizens listed, with 38 marked as killed. 

Why It’s Important: The numbers released by Hochu Zhit only included the Central Asian citizens whom the project was able to confirm as having signed contracts with the Russian army.

The true number of Central Asians who have joined the Russian military since late February 2022 is higher, probably far higher.

The death toll among Tajiks is particularly striking.

Nearly 200 more Uzbek citizens than Tajik citizens joined the Russian military, according to Hochu Zhit’s list, but nearly twice as many Tajiks were killed compared to Uzbeks.

The March 22, 2024 terrorist attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall was blamed on Tajik nationals who were allegedly members of the Islamic State of Khorasan Province.

Since the attack, Central Asians in Russia generally have been the targets of xenophobia, but Tajiks more than others.

It could be that Tajik nationals serving with Russian forces in Ukraine are considered expendable by Russian commanders. 

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan Offering “Golden Visas”

Kazakhstan has followed Uzbekistan in offering foreigners so-called “golden visas” for investing large sums of money in their countries.

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry posted the announcement on its website on April 30.

Foreigners “who invest at least $300,000… in Kazakhstani companies or in local securities” are eligible for an investor visa.

Such a visa gives the holder the right of residency in Kazakhstan for up to ten years.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed an order on April 18, introducing Uzbekistan’s golden visa.

According to that order, foreigners, and “individuals without citizenship,” investing at least $200,000 were eligible for a residency permit in Uzbekistan lasting up to ten years. Immediate relatives — spouses, children, or parents — were also eligible for an additional investment of at least $100,000 each.

At the start of May, Uzbekistan’s Justice Ministry issued a correction, saying the amount for foreign investors to receive ten-year residency starts at $250,000, with an additional investment of at least $150,000 for each family member.

Why It’s Important: Such visa programs are not unusual. Many countries offer similar deals for investments.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the largest countries in Central Asia in terms of geography and population, and they have the strongest economies.

The two countries are able to offer these golden visas, but none of the other three Central Asian countries are in a situation where they would attract as much interest as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Golden visas being available from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are a reminder that while Central Asian regional cooperation is strengthening, there is also a growing disparity economically, with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan clearly in much stronger positions than Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, or Turkmenistan.

This disparity could eventually become a source of regional unity problems between the wealthier two countries and their poorer Central Asian neighbors. 

Majlis Podcast

The latest Majlis podcast looks at the strengthening relations between the European Union and Central Asia.

Top EU officials just visited Central Asia in late March and early April 2025.

The meetings culminated in the first-ever EU-Central Asian summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on April 4.

The guests on this podcast are: 

• Terhi Hakala, a career diplomat from Finland who was the EU Special Representative for Central Asia from 2021 until earlier this year; and
• Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, director of the European Neighborhood Council. 

What I’m Following

The Case of Karakalpak Activist Tazhimuratov

There is more ominous news from Uzbekistan about imprisoned Karakalpak activist Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov.

Tazhimuratov’s lawyer, Sergei Mayorov, told RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service, known locally as Ozodlik, in April that Tazhimuratov was denied food for several days.

In February 2023, an Uzbek court found Tazhimuratov guilty of organizing mass protests in Karakalpakstan in July 2022 following a trial many rights organizations called a sham.

Tazhimuratov had requested permission to conduct a peaceful protest against proposed amendments to Uzbekistan’s constitution that would have stripped Karakalpakstan of its nominal rights of sovereignty.

Tazhimuratov was detained upon making that request and his detention helped spark protests.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention just released an opinion on Tazhimuratov’s case, declaring his arrest, trial, and continued imprisonment a violation of international law.

Mayorov said previously his client was being tortured in prison.

In an interview with Ozodlik, Mayorov said Tazhimuratov was placed in solitary confinement in early March 2025, during Ramadan.

Tazhimuratov is a Muslim and was fasting, but prison guards brought him food during the day. Tazhimuratov kept his fast and guards removed the food before sunset.

Uzbekistan’s ombudsman, Feruza Eshmatova, visited the prison where Tazhimuratov is being held on April 24, but did not meet with him. 

Central Asia “Darkened” in Reporters Without Borders’ Latest Index

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released its annual World Press Freedom Index on May 2.

The index showed the state of press freedom in Central Asia is now “very serious.”

In last year’s index, the conditions for journalism in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were rated as “difficult,” one level below “very serious,” which is the lowest rating.

On the RSF color-coded world map, countries rated “difficult” appear in orange. Those where the state of press freedom is “very serious” appear in dark red.

This year, the entire Central Asian region is dark red.

The decline is particularly noticeable for Kyrgyzstan, which was ranked 79th out of 180 countries in 2021 but fell to 144th in the 2025 index. 

Fact of the Week

This is the 114th edition of the Central Asia in Focus newsletter.

It is also the last.

My thanks to those of you who subscribed to the newsletter or were regular readers of it.

Continue to feel free to contact me to discuss Central Asia anytime you wish.

My best wishes to you all. 

Thanks for Reading

Thanks for reading Central Asia in Focus!

Feel free to contact me on X, especially if you have any questions, comments, or just want to connect about topics concerning Central Asia.

Until next time,
Bruce