Russia is actively recruiting migrants from Africa to fight in the war against Ukraine, according to The Insider, an independent media outlet focusing on investigative journalism, analysis, fact check and covering important events in Russia and the world.
According to the magazine, men who have come to Russia to seek a better life are sought out at universities, lured to the front by deception and even blackmail.
The publication said according to the Russian Interior Ministry, since the beginning of 2024, some 3,344 foreigners who went to war against Ukraine have been granted Russian citizenship.
Russian propaganda regularly shows stories about “volunteers” from “friendly” or “neutral” African countries joining the occupation army.
For example, in May 2024, RosTv showed a group of foreigners before they were sent to Ukraine.
Among them was Lamin Jatta from The Gambia, who spoke on camera about his love for Russia and his desire to fight for it.
However, a friend of his told The Insider that Lamin initially flew to Belarus on a student visa in the summer of 2023 and planned to cross the border illegally to get to Germany or the Netherlands.
After this attempt failed, the Gambian native went to work in the Russian Federation, where he was raided.
He was offered a choice: deportation to Africa or a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry.
In August, Lamin’s family received the news of his death at the front in Ukraine.
Recruiters of Syrian nationals work according to a similar scheme, The Insider writes.
According to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin in January 2024, mercenaries who signed a contract for at least a year during the “special operation” can indeed apply for a Russian passport.
However, there is no evidence of the regular use of large units of foreigners at the front. Obviously, small groups are involved in the rear and only occasionally participate in assaults.
Another indirect sign that foreigners are not of great importance to the Russian Armed Forces on the battlefield is the small number of prisoners of war, the article notes.
There are dozens, not hundreds or thousands, of such mercenaries in Ukrainian POW camps, and none of them have been replaced over the past year because the Russian authorities do not make relevant requests, and many face criminal charges for mercenarism at home.
Third-country mercenaries often find themselves on the battlefield by force, The Insider’s interlocutors said.
Richard from Sierra Leone came to Russia in November 2023 in search of a regular civilian job, although he had served in the army in his home country for more than a decade.
As you know, Sierra Leone has the lowest salaries in the world, the man says. The average salary per month is about $40.
“To earn money, I joined the army of my country, Sierra Leone. Now I have two children, a boy and a girl. My daughter has always been smart and told me she wanted to become a doctor. I told her: “Okay, I will try to do my best to help you achieve your dream,” he told reporters.
Richard said that he had been saving money for several years and eventually, after collecting his savings and borrowing from relatives, he managed to travel to Russia on a tourist visa.
In November 2023, Richard flew to St. Petersburg. It was difficult to find a job without a work permit and knowledge of Russian, so a few weeks later he contacted a travel agent w
Source: The Insider
