Ukraine knows of nearly 3,000 Africans recruited into Russia's armed forces
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has stated that at least 2,982 individuals from 37 African countries have been recruited into Russia's armed forces. Of them, 486 are known to have been killed.
Source: Foreign Ministry response to a query by Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne
Details: The ministry stated that 35 citizens from 17 African countries are being held on Ukrainian territory as prisoners of war. The highest numbers of recruits have been recorded from Kenya, Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Algeria and Mali.
Quote: "To recruit Africans, Russian intelligence services employ a broad arsenal of manipulative methods aimed at coercion and deception, including under the guise of civilian employment or education, promising high pay, prospects of obtaining Russian citizenship or other migration and social benefits. In many cases, foreign nationals are forced to sign military contracts in Russian under threat of deportation or imprisonment".
Details: The ministry also said that Ukrainian diplomatic missions in African countries keep local authorities informed about Russia's recruitment of their citizens. Ukraine is also running an information campaign in countries where it has diplomatic missions.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, in collaboration with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, has created a specialised web resource available in English, French and Swahili.
"The web resource contains verified information about Russian recruitment methods, testimonies from victims, analytical materials, practical recommendations for potential recruits and their families and mechanisms for reporting recruiter activity," the Foreign Ministry said.
Background: On 18 July, Botswana's Ministry of International Relations stated that a growing number of its citizens are being lured by job offers and coerced into fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine.
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