Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has publicly stated that more than 1,400 people from 36 African nations are known to be fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, urging governments to warn their citizens against joining a conflict where they are “quickly killed.” Speaking on Friday, Mr Sybiha accused Moscow of using deceptive tactics and financial incentives to lure Africans into signing military contracts he described as “equivalent to … a death sentence.”
The Minister wrote on X that foreign citizens in the Russian army face a “sad fate,” stating: “Most of them are immediately sent to the so-called ‘meat assaults’, where they are quickly killed.” He added that “Most mercenaries do not survive more than a month,” noting that recruits are offered money, duped into signing contracts without realising the commitment, or forced to do so under duress. Mr Sybiha warned that the true number of African recruits could exceed the 1,436 identified so far.
The warning from the Ukrainian foreign minister comes as several African governments have acknowledged cases of their citizens becoming involved in the conflict. South Africa confirmed on Thursday that it was investigating how 17 of its nationals became involved with mercenary groups after the men, aged between 20 and 39, issued distress calls seeking help to return home from the Donbas area of Ukraine. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the men were lured into joining mercenary forces “under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts,” though a spokesperson noted it was not yet clear which side they were fighting on.
Kenya has also been affected, reporting last month that some of its citizens had been detained in Russian military camps after being unwittingly caught up in the conflict. Kenyan President William Ruto said he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday about “young Kenyans who have been illegally recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine.” President Ruto said he asked his Ukrainian counterpart to “facilitate the release of any Kenyan in Ukrainian custody” and that President Zelenskyy had agreed to the appeal, with both leaders agreeing to “raise awareness of the dangers of such ventures.”
Ukrainian officials have long accused Russia of bolstering its forces by enlisting fighters from abroad, often using deceptive tactics. President Zelenskyy stated in August that Russian troops fighting near the border town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region included mercenaries from several African countries, alongside those from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan, citing reports from Ukrainian soldiers on the front line.
