Kyrgyzstan sends Russia note over citizen held in Russian military unit

Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Russia has sent a note to the Russian Foreign Ministry concerning Elistan Toktogulov. According to the ministry, the 21-year-old citizen is in a Russian military unit as a result of fraud by unidentified persons. The note seeks his swift return to Kyrgyzstan.

The embassy has also sent official letters to Russia's competent authorities, requesting a comprehensive inspection of the case, the identification of those responsible and their prosecution under the law. The embassy said it maintains constant contact with the citizen's close relatives and is keeping the issue under special control.

On November 4 in the city of Manas, relatives of the young man told authorities that he was being pressured to go to war in Ukraine. His brother, Bayastan Kushtarbek uulu, said Elistan found a job advertisement on Instagram offering positions such as truck driver, security staff and auto mechanic, with promised pay of 105,000 to 110,000 rubles. The ministry urged citizens to read contracts carefully before signing them.