Erbil family says son joined Russian army

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The family of a young man from Erbil’s northeastern Bradost area said he has joined the Russian army after traveling in search of work.

Matin Wahab, 22, told his family in mid-July that he was going to Erbil for a job. A month later, he called his father from Prde (Altun Kupri) in Kirkuk province, saying he had found “a great job.”

“He said some Arab friends told him there is a great job. The job paid $2,000, they told him. When they told him about $2,000, he agreed,” his father, Wahab Khidir, told Rudaw. “I cannot say he was forced or anything, but the greed for money made him go.”

According to the family, in early August, Matin sent a video message to his brother saying he was in Russia where he was undergoing military training and would soon be deployed to Ukraine. They say the video was deleted shortly after it was sent.

Khidir said they later received another message in which Matin stated he was “in Moscow now,” would receive 15 days of training and then would be sent to the front lines. “He said he will be stationed in Bakhmut,” the father said.

Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine, saw some of the bloodiest fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war in 2023.

Matin’s mother, Madina Saeed, said the family is desperate for information. Her son’s phone is switched off.

“We used to talk all the time. We had no issues. I am yearning a lot and my heart aches,” she told Rudaw.

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Department of Foreign Relations has notified its representative in Russia to follow up on the case. The representative told Rudaw that several young Kurds have traveled to Russia for money and joined the military, but said that because they went voluntarily, authorities cannot compel them to return.