Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukrainian authorities have revealed that more than 1,400 people from 36 African nations have been recruited to fight for Russia in its ongoing war against Ukraine, with the Ukrainian government warning that foreign nationals face almost certain death on the front lines.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated on Friday that Moscow is enticing Africans into signing military contracts that are effectively a “death sentence.”

“Foreign citizens in the Russian army have a sad fate. Most are immediately sent to so-called ‘meat assaults’ where they are quickly killed,” Sybiha wrote on social media platform X. “Most mercenaries do not survive more than a month.”

Sybiha added that African recruits are lured through promises of high salaries, Russian citizenship, or noncombat roles, while some are deceived or coerced into service.

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African Governments Respond

Several African countries have acknowledged cases of their citizens being drawn into Russia’s military efforts.

• South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that 17 South African men, aged 20 to 39, were recruited under false promises of lucrative employment. They became trapped in Ukraine’s Donbas region and issued distress calls seeking help to return home. South African authorities are investigating the matter.
• Kenya: Kenyan President William Ruto reported that some of his citizens were detained in Russian military camps. Ruto spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to coordinate the safe release of Kenyan nationals captured in Ukraine.

Other African nations are being urged to warn citizens against joining Russian forces, highlighting the extreme risks involved.

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Broader Pattern of Foreign Recruitment

Ukraine has long accused Russia of supplementing its military ranks with foreign recruits, often using deceptive tactics.

• China: Several hundred Chinese nationals are reported to be fighting for Russia, despite China officially dismissing such claims.
• India: A 22-year-old Indian national reportedly joined Russian forces to evade a prison sentence for drug charges.
• Cuba: Ukraine estimates that Russia has recruited up to 20,000 Cubans as mercenaries.
• Other countries implicated in recruitment include Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and various African nations.

Captured foreign fighters are often taken during their first combat missions, according to Sybiha, underscoring the lethal reality faced by mercenaries. Kyiv plans to release more information about the origins and nationalities of captured foreign recruits in the coming weeks.

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Russia’s Recruitment Tactics

Russia has allegedly used multiple methods to lure foreign nationals, including:

• Job advertisements promising lucrative employment in noncombat roles.
• Social media campaigns targeting women for work in Russian drone factories, catering, and hospitality sectors, often misleading them about the nature of the work.
• Direct financial incentives and coercion for African and Asian recruits.

The Ukrainian government has described these tactics as predatory and suicidal, urging international action to warn and protect potential recruits from entering Russian military service.

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International Reactions

• China labeled Ukraine’s claims “irresponsible.”
• Pakistan dismissed allegations of recruiting its citizens as “baseless and unfounded.”
• Many African governments are actively investigating and attempting to repatriate citizens caught in the conflict.

Ukrainian authorities continue to monitor foreign fighter activity, emphasizing that Russia is heavily reliant on mercenaries from abroad to maintain its war effort in Ukraine.