A video appeal by Kazakh citizens who claim they were deceived into being sent to a combat zone on Russian territory is circulating on social media. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already responded to the information, according to infohub.kz.

Earlier, media reports said the Foreign Ministry had commented on requests from Kazakhs asking for help in returning home. Journalists from the KTK television channel looked into the details and spoke with the relatives of the applicants.

It is noted that a video featuring Kazakhs appeared online several days ago. The young men claim they were deceived into being sent to a combat zone. A resident of Shymkent said he had supposedly gone to work as a security guard but signed a contract with the military without understanding its contents because of poor language skills.

"I ended up here through deception. A friend told me about the job, and the three of us came here. We believed it and signed the documents. Then we were told that either we go to war or we go to prison. We got scared, there was nowhere to turn, so we ended up here. Now we're looking for a way to get home," said Ainabek Keldibek.

According to his mother, 20-year-old Ainabek Keldibek had recently returned from the army and was looking for work. He allegedly agreed to go to Russia for a shift job because of the good pay. She said he was promised he would be a simple security guard. The young man's mother is asking for him to be brought home. Her son told her he is being intimidated and that refusal to fight would mean prison. The woman is now looking for ways to help her son.

"They started intimidating my son. They said if he didn't go, he'd get 15 years. He got scared and went with them. Now he calls almost every day, crying and begging to be saved," said Perizat Yeleusizova.

Recall that the Foreign Ministry has already responded to this appeal and said that a special hotline operates at the ministry to receive requests from relatives of Kazakhs who have ended up in a combat zone.

Hotlines for matters concerning Kazakh citizens who have ended up in a combat zone:

Consular Service Department of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry: +7 (7172) 72-05-00; Dks_ast@mfa.kz

Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Russian Federation: +7 (925) 897-71-14; consul.moscow@mfa.kz

Consulate General of Kazakhstan in Astrakhan: +7 (906) 177-70-88; astrakhan@mfa.kz

Consulate General of Kazakhstan in Kazan: +7 (905) 020-30-42; +7 (843) 202-05-92; kazan@mfa.kz

Consulate General of Kazakhstan in Omsk: +7 (968) 100-73-06; omsk@mfa.kz

Consulate General of Kazakhstan in Yekaterinburg: +7 (939) 919-76-33; ekaterinburg@mfa.kz

Consulate General of Kazakhstan in St. Petersburg: +7 (981) 916-25-12; +7 (921) 188-90-60; s-petersburg@mfa.kz