Ukrainian officials revealed Wednesday that Russian forces have deceived more than 1,700 African citizens into joining their military campaign, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
During a joint press conference with Ghana’s foreign minister in Kyiv, Sybiha disclosed that Ukrainian intelligence shows 1,780 African nationals are currently serving in Russia’s military ranks. These fighters represent citizens from 36 nations across the African continent.
“We clearly see that Russia is trying to drag African citizens into a deadly war,” Sybiha stated during the briefing. He indicated that Ukrainian officials are working with African governments to combat these recruitment schemes.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa described the African fighters as victims of elaborate deception, explaining they were targeted through dark web platforms with promises of legitimate employment opportunities.
“They have no security background. They have no military background. They have not been trained,” Ablakwa explained. “They were just lured and deceived, and then put on the frontlines.”
Russian officials have previously rejected allegations of illegally recruiting African nationals for military service. However, documented cases of African men being misled with job offers only to end up in combat zones have increased significantly in recent months, straining diplomatic relationships between Moscow and several African nations.
Ablakwa expressed Ghana’s support for Ukraine and advocated for a ceasefire to end the conflict, which reached its fourth anniversary on Tuesday. He also announced plans to request Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s assistance in securing the release of two Ghanaian prisoners of war captured while fighting for Russian forces.
As Ghana prepares to lead the African Union next year, Ablakwa pledged to implement awareness campaigns designed to expose trafficking networks that deceive Africans into joining Russian military operations.
