In the past year, Russia has intensified the recruitment of African citizens to participate in the war against Ukraine. With the reduction of Russian volunteer flows due to funding cuts, the Kremlin has turned to African countries.
People with low incomes from Cameroon, Ghana, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Ghana, Senegal, Togo, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Egypt, and others are receiving fraudulent job offers in Russia — promises of high wages, free housing, and even citizenship. Many end up on the front lines or in Russian captivity instead.
According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, over 1,400 individuals from 36 African countries are fighting on the front, with the actual number likely significantly higher. Many have died or been captured. Recruitment methods include social networks, fake employment agencies, direct deception through recruiters, especially via Discord, Telegram, VKontakte, and other platforms.
Recruitment focuses on young men and students, who, after their visa expires, are given a choice between deportation or signing a military contract, often written in Russian without translation.
African women are also recruited, supposedly for factory or service jobs, but are instead sent to hazardous manufacturing environments, especially in Tatarstan, assembling military drones in poor, unsafe conditions.
In many African countries, amid high unemployment and poverty, military service in Russia appears a chance for a better life. However, most recruits die within three days at the front, with families rarely receiving compensation or even accurate information about their loved ones’ fate.
Human trafficking and widespread use of foreigners as “cannon fodder” have become part of Russia’s military strategy. This process has exposed the true nature of the Russian regime, using Africa’s poverty to sustain its war by sacrificing foreign lives.
