The so-called Acting Foreign Minister of occupied Abkhazia, Sergei Shamba, stated that Abkhaz students in Russia who also hold Russian citizenship are now being asked to register with military recruitment offices. According to Shamba, this request has only recently been issued by Russia.
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"Now all students - my grandson is studying there as well - are being asked to complete military registration. This has always been the case: they apply as foreign citizens while also holding Russian citizenship. For some time, authorities took a lenient approach, turning a blind eye and not enforcing this requirement. Now, however, they are enforcing it. This does not mean that students will be immediately drafted into the army, but after graduation, if the law on dual citizenship is not enacted by then, they may be drafted if they remain in Russia," said Sergei Shamba.
He noted that, on the one hand, this could have a positive aspect, as Abkhaz students will return to their homeland after completing their higher education. "It's true that there is no work here, nothing, but they will not stay there either," said Shamba.
In 2022, a so-called agreement on dual citizenship was signed between the de facto authorities of Abkhazia and Russia. According to the agreement, individuals holding citizenship of both parties will fulfill military service in the location where they permanently reside at the time of conscription.
Shamba explained that the issue's resolution is being delayed because it requires an additional decree from the President of the Russian Federation.
