More than 1,700 Africans are fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, Kyiv said, many lured with work offers from Moscow.
Ukraine’s foreign minister said he was in discussions with African leaders to prevent their citizens from being drawn into such schemes: Reports of Africans going to Russia have become increasingly common as Moscow’s war losses pile up.
Pretoria has in recent days moved to repatriate its nationals stranded in Russia, some of whom were allegedly duped by the daughter of a former South African president in exchange for payment.
Those left in eastern Europe face harrowing conditions: “So long as you’ve stepped in the Russian military, you escape or you die,” a Kenyan recruit told CNN.