The Russian authorities are recruiting foreign nationals for the war against Ukraine through fake recruitment agencies and unofficial migration networks.
Modern.az reports that The Telegraph writes about this.
According to the information, most of those recruited through such means are taken to the front without any military training and without fully understanding where they are being sent, and many of them die within the first 72 hours.
According to the publication's investigation, by the end of 2025, Russia has recruited approximately 18,000 people for the war, including citizens from 128 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. At least 3,300 of them have been killed in battles. Approximately 7 percent of the 10,000 Russian servicemen captured by the Ukrainian side are foreign nationals.
Some of the captured foreigners state that they were promised civilian or non-combat work behind the front lines. However, upon arriving in Russia, they were forced to sign documents drafted in Russian, their passports were confiscated, and they were sent directly to the front. One individual from Cameroon said that he applied after seeing an advertisement online for a chef or security guard job, but ended up in the war.
Another 43-year-old individual from Uganda stated that he borrowed money to fly to Russia, earning only $50 a month in his country, and was promised a well-paying job as a cleaner or security guard. According to him, immediately upon arriving in Russia, he and three other foreigners were told they would be sent to war. They were not given the opportunity to refuse, were threatened with weapons, and forced to sign documents. Subsequently, the individual, who was taken to a combat position, was captured.
The French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), which investigated the issue, states that these methods employed by the Russian side resemble human trafficking and fraudulent “call-center” schemes operating in Southeast Asia. Particularly in Africa, intermediaries previously involved in illegal migration are used, and recruitment is often carried out through local individuals with connections in Russia. According to IFRI researcher Thierry Vircoulon, Russia is well aware of the main source countries for migrant flows and utilizes existing networks. In his opinion, tourism agencies also play a role in this process, and similar activities were previously carried out by the Wagner Group in Mali and the Central African Republic.
Recently, an increase in the number of fighters of African origin has been observed at the front. This is reflected both in drone footage and in videos filmed by Russian servicemen themselves. In one of the videos released in early January, a black mercenary with a mine strapped to his chest is threatened with a weapon and ordered to cross the “grey zone”. In other footage, newly arrived Africans are heard being referred to as “consumable material” in a snowy forest.
