How much is the life of a young Iraqi worth? According to the Russian army, around €2,500 a month. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, recruitment networks have sprung up around the globe. Some operate openly, others are more opaque. RFI spoke to a young Iraqi man who was snared by one of these schemes.
"Are you young, healthy and between the ages of 18 and 40? Sign a contract with the Russian Federal Army. The reward: a signing bonus of between $8,000 and $30,000, and a salary of nearly $3,000 [€2,500] per month."
The advertisement is accompanied by an image of a soldier in action, in a dark and dramatic setting, wearing a modern uniform, tactical vest and helmet and carrying a sophisticated combat rifle.
Messages like these, aimed at potential recruits in the Middle East, can be seen regularly on Telegram groups, accompanied by telephone numbers with the Russian country code (+7).
One of these groups is named Sadiq Rossia – "friend of Russia" in Arabic.
Recruits are promised a Russian passport, which means they would no longer be a foreign fighter, but a newly naturalised Russian citizen.
Opaque channels
A monthly salary of $3,000 is a considerable sum for young people in Iraq, where the average salary is barely more than $500 (€420).
But since for some this is not a sufficient incentive, recruiters have begun adapting their methods, with Iraqi travel agencies serving as a cover, offering student visas or "civilian" work contracts in Russia.
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In June 2025, Firas (not his real name) was persuaded by the opportunity of a one-year contract as a lorry driver, with a £2,000 (€2,200) monthly salary.
"They never told me clearly that I was going to fight in Russia. Two friends and I were offered very attractive salaries," he told RFI.
Upon arriving in Moscow, he claims to have been grouped together with other Iraqis, as well as Syrians, Lebanese and nationals from various African countries.
'You serve or you die'
"From Moscow, we got on a bus and travelled for nearly 18 hours," recalls Firas, who was then deployed to the region of Donbas.
"We were in the middle of the forest, our phones were confiscated, and we were presented with a fait accompli. We had become members of the Russian army. They tell you, 'you serve or you die'. If you refuse to serve, you are executed. To them, we were just cannon fodder."
In October 2025, a Ukrainian drone strike hit his batallion's position, killing one of his Iraqi friends. Firas was wounded by shrapnel to the back of the head. Declared unfit for service, he returned to Iraq at his own expense.
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Officially, Iraq has chosen neutrality in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
But the country is recovering from two decades of internal conflict and powerful Shia militias coexist with the government. Created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group, these militias have since been integrated into the Iraqi forces. Their political influence is considerable and some are known to have close ties to Moscow.
"These militias are not loyal to Iraq. They have pledged allegiance to Iran and gravitate towards Tehran's allies, and therefore Russia's. We also know that one of these militias, Al-Nujaba, is close to Moscow," explains Mohaned Al Janabi, professor of political science in Iraq.
The leader of the Al-Nujaba militia, Akram al-Kaabi, was recently hosted at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This militia fought alongside the Russians in Syria and had links with mercenaries from the Wagner Group.
The researcher estimates that around 1,500 Iraqis have been deployed to Russia.
He also claims that Ukraine is recruiting young people in Iraq through its own channels. In response, authorities in Baghdad have set up a commission of inquiry to shed light on these recruitment practices, which mainly target young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This article was adapted from the original version in French by Sami Boukhelifa.
