Russia wants to allow stateless persons to serve in the army

Russia is promoting a bill that would allow individuals without citizenship (stateless persons) to join the Armed Forces.

The document is “aimed at expanding the number of people who can enlist in military service under contract,” Meduza reported.

Foreign nationals can already sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry, but only for positions of soldiers and non-commissioned officers.

The adoption of the new law equates stateless persons with foreigners.

Due to the small number of stateless persons in Russia, the new law will affect only a few people in practice.

In the context of the ongoing war, the Russian authorities are regularly looking for new ways to fill the ranks of the army with volunteers.

Depending on the region, they are paid from 600,000 to several million rubles at a time upon signing a contract.

In Ukraine, back in 2024, the Verkhovna Rada allowed foreigners and stateless persons to serve under contract in the Armed Forces.

The country is home to more than 5,000 stateless people. At the same time, there are no statistics on people who do not have any official status documents.

The law stipulated that foreigners and stateless persons in Ukraine would be allowed to sign contracts with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, and the National Guard. This also applies to officer positions.

It is envisaged that foreigners and stateless persons performing military service in Ukraine can enter and leave Ukraine with a passport and a military registration document (service certificate).

Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine also developed an algorithm for opening accounts remotely for families of foreign military personnel fighting for Ukraine. Foreigners can also hold officer positions in the Defense Forces in Ukraine.