Famous Iraqi Singer Abducted and Forced to Fight for the Russian Army
29-year-old Iraqi singer Hussein Al‑Turki, known in his hometown of Baghdad as “the man with the soft voice”, was lured to Russia and promised a stage to perform, only to learn that he was lied to and forcefully recruited into the Russian army. Now he is on the brink of death, begging the world for help.
Al-Turki thought his dreams were coming true when he was invited to perform in Moscow. He sang about love, longing, and his homeland, becoming one of the most popular voices on Iraqi TikTok. On YouTube, his videos reached millions of views, and on social media, millions followed every clip he posted.
“A travel agency in Baghdad, which claimed to organize artistic projects in Russia, offered me an attractive four-month contract with good pay and full assistance with travel and my visa,”
When the offer came to perform in Russia, he was overjoyed: finally, he could stand on an international stage.
“A travel agency in Baghdad, which claimed to organize artistic projects in Russia, offered me an attractive four-month contract with good pay and full assistance with travel and my visa,” Hussein told The Amargi from the frontlines in Ukraine. He said he received an advance payment of around $1,600.
The young artist packed his suitcase, said goodbye to his family, and promised to send photos from the stage. On the 14th of October, Hussein boarded a flight from Baghdad to Moscow, and his family lost all contact with him.
A few days later, Hussein contacted his family. The photos he sent shocked them – he was far from the glamour of the limelight.
From Baghdad to Bloody Front Lines
Upon his arrival in Russia, Hussein was met by Abu Masha’an, a representative of the travel agency.
According to Hussein, he was told he needed to travel “just a few hours outside Moscow” to finalize his visa and residency papers. The drive took 16 hours.
After the long journey, they took his phone: “They said, ‘Sign these papers, it’s just normal visa documents.’” The next day, they told him, “You are now a soldier in the Russian army for one year.”
Hussein offered money to be allowed to go home, but the middleman replied that the matter was “beyond their authority.”
Iraqis Lured to Fight for Russia
Although no official sources have confirmed the number of Iraqis lured into the Russian army, some estimates put it in the hundreds. Young Iraqis who have travelled to Russia in recent months are often lured by fake contracts and job offers, according to analysts.
Recruitment takes place through social media platforms such as TikTok and Telegram, where young men are enticed with promises and assurances of high salaries and Russian citizenship.
Researcher Karen Philippa Larsen at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) has been in Ukraine and interviewed foreign soldiers from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Morocco, Egypt, and Brazil. She said that the recruits fall into three groups:
• Those who knew they were going to war
• Those who thought they would work in support roles and logistics
• And those who didn’t realize they had signed a military contract until they were already in Russia
Recruitment takes place through social media platforms such as TikTok and Telegram, where young men are enticed with promises and assurances of high salaries and Russian citizenship.
David Kirichenko, associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, explained the scale of this effort:
“Russia is increasingly relying on foreigners to keep a steady supply of soldiers for ‘meat-grinder assaults’. Many never live long enough to collect their promised pay.” Soldiers who are thrown into such deadly assaults become the first line of attack, and they are used to exhaust enemy resources.
Recruits are reportedly offered about $2,800 per month. For unemployed Iraqi youths with few prospects, this can feel like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Many obtain visas through travel agencies. They are told they will work on cultural or construction projects in Russia, only to discover after arrival that they have unknowingly signed military contracts.
Iraqi authorities have warned against such recruitment strategies, describing them as a form of human trafficking. In September, a man was sentenced to life in prison for sending Iraqi citizens to the war in Ukraine.
However, David Kirichenko said that deception remains central to the strategy: “They lure civilians with promises of high-paying jobs and Russian passports, then take away their papers and force them into the army.”
Struggling to Find Enough Soldiers
Western defence officials estimate that Russia has lost around one million soldiers, either killed or severely wounded. More signs are emerging that Russia, like Ukraine, is struggling to recruit enough soldiers. These heavy losses have made it increasingly difficult for Moscow to recruit new troops, prompting authorities to resort to drastic measures.
To fill its ranks, Russia is actively recruiting foreigners from several countries – officials and intermediaries have reached out to young men from Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Algeria, Central Asia, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
Frontelligence Insight, an open-source research group, estimates that around 4600–8,000 foreign fighters are fighting in the Russian army.
Recruiting men from far-off, poverty-stricken countries is very cheap for the Russian government, because Russia does not have to pay pensions or compensation to their families when they are killed. Additionally, it becomes easier for the general Russian public to ignore the fact that the country is at war.
“Russia is trying to diversify recruitment to avoid full mobilization at home. The regime wants to put as little pressure as possible on its own population,” Said Larsen at DIIS.
The Russian ambassador to Iraq, Elbrus Kutrashev, claimed in October that “thousands of Iraqis are ready to join the Russian army.” The statement has been strongly criticized as an attempt at illegal recruitment of foreign soldiers.
In a video clip posted on his social media platforms, Hussein, in a trembling, low voice, spoke about constant drone attacks. The young singer, now wearing a Russian uniform, held a rifle. His face was pale, his eyes empty. He had just survived an attack by Ukrainian forces, in which several of his Iraqi comrades were killed.
“I haven’t eaten or drunk properly in a month. If I die, you won’t even find my body.”
He said he was forced to sleep among the bodies of soldiers from several countries — among them Iraqis, Kenyans, and Chinese — all killed in battle.
He described each day as a struggle to survive, without enough food, water, or sleep.
“I haven’t eaten or drunk properly in a month. If I die, you won’t even find my body.”
Hussein’s father, Abu Hussein, told The Amargi that the agency’s owner has now been arrested. However, the travel agency has denied that Hussein was ever registered as a client. The Amargi tried to contact the travel agency but could not reach them.
Even with the owner under arrest, Hussein remains trapped on the front line. Far from the stage life he dreamed of in Moscow, he now sends a desperate plea for help from the battlefield:
“Please, help me. I just want to go home. My mother is dying of grief. My daughter has no one but me.”
The Amargi
Amargi Columnist
