African Men Forced to Fight for Russia in Ukraine Narrate Harrowing Story
- African men who travelled to Russia for promised civilian jobs said they were forced into military service and deployed to Ukraine’s front lines
- Viral videos and family testimonies revealed coercion, racism and severe risks faced by African recruits fighting in the war
- Investigations uncovered recruitment tactics involving false job offers, minimal training and binding military contracts signed without translation
African men seeking work abroad say they were lured to Russia with promises of civilian jobs, only to be forced into combat roles on the front lines of the war in Ukraine.
Investigations and first-hand accounts suggest a pattern of deception that has left families across the continent searching for answers and, in some cases, fearing the worst.
Source: Facebook
Anne Ndarua has not heard from her only son, Francis Ndung’u Ndarua, since October 2025, CNN reported.
Six months earlier, he left Kenya for Russia after being promised employment as an electrical engineer. Instead, Anne later learned that he had been pushed into military service.
Her fears deepened when a video surfaced in December showing Francis urging other Africans not to travel to Russia for work.
“You’ll end up being taken to the military even if you’ve never served in the military, and you’re taken to the frontline battle. And there are true killings,” he said in the clip.
“Many friends have died in the name of money.”
Source: Original
Videos expose fear and coercion
Days later, another video went viral. Francis appeared in uniform with a land mine strapped to his chest as a Russian speaker used racist slurs and described him as a “can-opener” meant to breach Ukrainian positions. Anne described the footage as unbearable.
“It’s so traumatizing,” she told CNN, explaining that she could not watch the video herself.
“I’m appealing to the Kenyan and Russian governments to work together to bring those children home. They lied to them about real jobs and now they’re in war with their lives in danger.”
Francis, 35, had been unemployed and living with his mother before leaving Kenya.
Anne said he paid about $620 to an agent and was shocked to learn he was undergoing military training soon after arrival. She said he was sent to Ukraine after just three weeks.
Investigation reveals recruitment tactics
A CNN investigation found that Francis is among a growing number of Africans fighting for Russia.
The American media house journalists reviewed hundreds of messages, contracts and travel records, and interviewed African fighters still in Ukraine. Many said they were promised jobs as drivers or guards, signing bonuses of up to $13,000, monthly pay of $3,500 and eventual Russian citizenship.
Once in Russia, several said they were forced to sign military contracts written in Russian without translation or legal advice. Some reported that their passports were taken, making escape difficult.
“I’ve been here for seven months, and I haven’t been paid a single cent,” one fighter said. “They keep promising to check but nothing happens.”
Africans faced racism, losses and no exit
Others described racism, unpaid wages and being sent into high-risk combat zones with minimal training. Some said fellow Africans died on the battlefield and their bodies were left for months.
“The war here is very hot, and many people are dying on both sides,” one African fighter who plans to complete his contract said.
“This was not the expectation of these guys who came to fight.”
Russia has not responded to allegations that recruits were misled or coerced. Several African governments, including Kenya and South Africa, have warned citizens against such offers.
Patrick Kwoba, a Kenyan who deserted after being wounded, summed up his experience bluntly. “So long as you’ve stepped in the Russian military, you escape or you die,” he said.
“There’s no way that you’re going to Russia and you’ll come back alive.”
Ukraine has urged African states to shut down recruitment channels. “This pipeline should be stopped,” Ukraine’s ambassador to Kenya, Yurii Tokar, said.
Russia fires "uninterceptible" Oreshnik missile
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Russia carried out a large-scale overnight assault on Ukraine that included the rare deployment of the Oreshnik ballistic missile, marking only the second confirmed use of the weapon since it was first launched against Dnipro in November 2024.
Ukrainian authorities said the attack killed four people in Kyiv and injured at least 25 others as explosions echoed across the capital for hours.
Source: Legit.ng
