Ukraine Says Over 1,400 Africans Fighting for Russia in Ongoing War

KYIV, Nov 8: Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has revealed that more than 1,400 citizens from 36 African countries are currently fighting alongside Russian forces in the ongoing war, accusing Moscow of luring foreign recruits into what it described as “a death sentence.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said on Friday that Russia has been actively recruiting Africans to bolster its troops in Ukraine, often using deceptive tactics.

“Foreign citizens in the Russian army have a sad fate,” Sybiha wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Most of them are immediately sent to the so-called ‘meat assaults,’ where they are quickly killed.”

He urged African governments to take urgent action to warn their citizens about the dangers of joining Russian forces.

Ukraine claims that many of the foreign fighters are recruited through misleading job offers or false promises of stable employment, only to end up conscripted into frontline combat.

Recent reports have highlighted distress calls from African nationals caught in the conflict. South Africa announced on Thursday that it was investigating how 17 of its citizens ended up fighting as mercenaries in Ukraine after they reached out for help to return home.

Kenya also reported last month that several of its nationals had been detained in Russian military camps after unknowingly being drawn into the war.

Sybiha said the figure of 1,436 identified African fighters could be an underestimate, as Ukrainian intelligence continues to track recruitment networks. He added that most captured foreign mercenaries were taken during their very first combat missions.

Ukraine plans to release more detailed information soon, including the countries and regions most affected by Russia’s recruitment drive.

The revelation underscores growing international concern over Russia’s alleged use of foreign nationals, including those from Africa and Asia, to reinforce its battlefield ranks amid the prolonged conflict.