Russia has recruited around 3,000 individuals from 36 African countries since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to Ukrainian government data, as Moscow seeks to replenish the ranks of its armed forces.
Accounts from several African fighters captured by Ukrainian forces present a more complex picture. In interviews published by Politico, the prisoners said they had voluntarily enlisted with the Russian military, primarily for economic reasons, and that if exchanged as prisoners of war, they would prefer to return to Russia rather than their countries of origin.
One captured fighter from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, identified by the nickname “Avatar,” said Russia had become his home.
“I have a family in Russia. Why would I return to Congo? Ukraine believes we will take up arms again, but I want to go back to Russia,” he said.
Another prisoner, an Egyptian identified as “Cairo,” insisted that the recruitment process had been transparent and rejected claims that African recruits had been deceived.
“When you sign the contract, the duties you will perform are clearly explained. It is not true that Africans were tricked,” he said.
Despite these testimonies, Ukrainian authorities continue to accuse Moscow of treating foreign recruits as “cannon fodder,” luring them with promises of well-paid jobs and attractive salaries before deploying them to the front lines.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has previously described the recruitment of African nationals as an alarming trend, saying that several African governments have approached Kyiv for assistance in repatriating their citizens captured during the war.
According to available information, Russia offers foreign recruits a signing bonus of approximately $13,000 and monthly salaries of at least $2,000—amounts that are significantly higher than average incomes across much of Sub-Saharan Africa.
The recruitment of African nationals has become another dimension of the geopolitical competition between Moscow and Kyiv for influence across Africa. Although Ukraine has expanded its diplomatic presence on the continent in recent years, Russia continues to maintain a broader diplomatic network and longstanding ties dating back to the Soviet era.
Several of the captured African fighters also appealed directly to Ukraine, asking to be included in future prisoner exchange negotiations so they could return to Russia, which they now consider their home.
