army

Prisoners of war walk towards their cells, April 15, 2026. Credit : Driss Rejichi

“I only needed a passport” : In Ukraine, Central Asian prisoners of wars caught between loyalty and regret

Citizens from Central Asia now represent the largest group of foreign nationals fighting in the Russian army. Novastan spoke with several of them after their capture by Ukrainian forces. [...]

The Tajik army struggles every year to recruit its members (illustration).

Recruitment in the Tajik army: a headache for the authorities and hell for the recruits

Every year, the recruitment of Tajik soldiers, young people of age to perform their compulsory two-year military service, is a real problem for the authorities. In addition to the… [...]