Putin recruits young Africans as cannon fodder for Ukraine

MoscowThe voracity with which Assault operations are bleeding Russian troops dry in Ukraine This has forced the Kremlin to seek soldiers beyond its borders. In Africa, Russia leverages the influence it has cultivated for years to create recruitment networks that exploit the desperation of many young people yearning for a better life. For the first time, an investigation by the INPACT group—which was founded to monitor the atrocities committed by Wagner mercenaries—has quantified this phenomenon: it has documented nearly 1,500 cases of young Africans sent to the front lines, of whom 300, one in five, died.

The report, which ARA has accessed, reveals that the victims survived an average of only six months on the front lines, although some fifty lasted barely a month after enlisting. The largest age group comprises volunteers between 18 and 25 years old, mainly from Egypt, Cameroon, and Ghana, and, according to the researchers, the list of Africans sent to Ukraine is likely much longer. Vincent, one of the study's authors, told this newspaper that the recruits are deployed in "successive waves of assault" in "the most intense combat zones." This allows them to assert that the recruits are being used as "cannon fodder."

Some of the young men were consciously recruited into the army, while others were lured with false promises. All of them were deceived at some point. Those who voluntarily agreed to sign a contract received offers of a one-time payment of between $2,000 and $30,000 and a monthly salary of $2,200 to $2,500, in addition to airfare, accommodation, a translator, medical insurance, military training, and one of the biggest attractions: citizenship. However, many of the recruits regret having signed terms written in Cyrillic without understanding them, being deployed to the front lines with little to no combat training, and not receiving the promised money.

Fictitious job offers

Often, the Russian opportunity takes the form of a scholarship or job, advertised through aggressive online campaigns targeting African youth. In Egypt, a travel agency owned by an Egyptian living in Russia lured several students and workers who ended up on the front lines in Ukraine. Meanwhile, in Cameroon, a network published fake job offers for low-skilled positions. One such case involved a farmer who arrived in Moscow thinking he would work in a soap factory and was instead sent to the trenches.

Behind some of these situations, human trafficking networks have been uncovered. In Kenya, police recently dismantled two companies that offered nonexistent job openings in Russia, which were, in reality, one-way tickets to the front lines. On Tuesday, the Kenyan government demanded explanations from the Kremlin for a practice it described as "unacceptable and clandestine." However, with the exception of a few countries that spoke out, most African states turned a blind eye to Russia's exploitation of their citizens' desperation.

Moscow not only recruits in their countries of origin but also takes advantage of its bureaucratic web for foreigners to ensnare illegal immigrants detained in Russia. When their visas expire, they are offered two options: deportation or signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense. And, as researchers explain, the Kremlin has found "a gold mine" in this scheme. One example is the case of Lamin Yatta, a Gambian who arrived in Belarus in 2023 to study, crossed into Russia, was arrested in May 2024, enlisted, and died three months later.

Russian propaganda also targets Africans living temporarily in Gulf countries, offering them an escape from appalling working conditions. Marfo Nicholas Kawu, a Ghanaian teacher working in Qatar on the construction of stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, eventually accepted an offer from a Russian recruiter. In late April 2025, he posted a photo of himself in a city in the Yaroslavl region, 300 kilometers from Moscow. Two weeks later, his family received photos of him in military uniform, and they have heard nothing since.

The risks for Europe

The authors of the research warn of the long-term risks of this Kremlin strategy. On the one hand, because Russian authorities have been exerting "discreet political, military, and media influence" in Africa for a decade, which could lead to a "brain drain." On the other hand, because European countries "do not offer an alternative." They believe that Russia will exploit its image as a land of hope in contrast to Europe's isolation, amidst a growing anti-immigrant climate fueled by the far right. Furthermore, they point out that it is worth asking whether these same networks are also being used for "other aspects of the Russian war machine, such as recruitment for hybrid operations in Europe."