Russia is expanding its military recruitment drive across Africa as it seeks to address personnel shortages in its war against Ukraine, with 530 Zimbabweans reportedly recruited in the first nine months of 2026.
Burundi recorded an even steeper rise, with 699 men recruited over the same nine-month period, up from 30 in all of 2025. Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Cameroon were also identified among countries experiencing significant increases.
The presentation described the recruitment programme as an effort to offset heavy battlefield losses and a shortage of personnel available for mobilisation.
Russia turns to more African countries for recruits
The reported expansion follows efforts by some African governments to discourage their citizens from travelling to Russia to join its war against Ukraine.
Kenya and South Africa have taken steps to address recruitment, while the governments of Kenya and Ghana have directly asked Moscow to stop the practice. Botswana and South Africa have also issued public warnings about attractive job offers in Russia.
Recruiters have reportedly used promises of civilian employment, including jobs in catering and transport, to attract prospective recruits. Other incentives include substantial signing-on bonuses, high salaries and the possibility of obtaining Russian citizenship.
An online advertisement allegedly used in Zimbabwe offered a programme for local specialists and invited applicants to complete a test to determine their eligibility. The advert did not explicitly state that successful applicants could be sent to fight in Ukraine.
Zimbabwean authorities have also arrested two Russian nationals suspected of recruiting people for military service, according to the report.
The recruitment figures come amid growing concern about the circumstances in which some foreign nationals end up serving in the Russian armed forces.
UN investigation raises concerns over deceptive recruitment
A report released by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has found compelling evidence that Russian authorities trafficked people from 29 countries into the Russian armed forces through deception and coercion.
The commission said intermediaries operating in different countries presented themselves as legitimate, government-endorsed businesses. They helped recruits obtain visas and travel documents before the men were allegedly pressured or forced to sign military contracts written in Russian after arriving in the country.
Many were subsequently deployed to front-line positions and assigned dangerous tasks. The commission said some had been killed or reported missing, while others had surrendered or been captured by Ukrainian forces.
The findings add to concerns that people seeking employment abroad may be exposed to recruitment schemes that conceal the risks and actual nature of the work.
Russia has not publicly acknowledged using foreign nationals in its war against Ukraine, while Russian officials have maintained that the country has sufficient manpower for the conflict.
The scale of the wider recruitment effort is also significant. Ukrainian authorities said 45,959 foreign nationals from 151 countries had signed contracts with the Russian military, including 5,451 Africans, according to figures cited in the reports.
The figures attributed to Ukrainian intelligence and the commission reflect their respective findings and could not be independently verified in full.
