Russia is expanding the geography of its recruitment of citizens of African countries into the Russian army in order to offset losses in the war against Ukraine and a shortage of soldiers.
Bloomberg reports this, citing a presentation obtained from people familiar with the work of Ukrainian intelligence.
Russia has focused on countries with low democratic standards, limited press freedom and a weak judicial system. The list of countries where recruitment has been stepped up includes Zimbabwe, Burundi and Sierra Leone.
From 1 January to 30 September 2026, Russia recruited 699 men from Burundi. By comparison, the figure for the whole of 2025 was 30. The number of recruited citizens of Zimbabwe over the same period was 530, compared with 65 a year earlier.
A significant increase in the number of recruits was also recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Cameroon.
According to Bloomberg, Moscow expanded the campaign after Kenya and South Africa took steps to prevent their citizens from travelling to take part in the war against Ukraine.
The recruitment programme, according to the presentation, is aimed at offsetting heavy losses and a shortage of people available for mobilisation.
At the same time, the Kremlin has not publicly acknowledged the involvement of foreigners in combat operations against Ukraine. Russian officials have said the country has enough troops to wage the war. Last month, Vladimir Putin dismissed suggestions that a new wave of mobilisation was being prepared.
In a number of African countries, concern is growing over Russia’s attempts to draw their citizens into the war.
According to Bloomberg, recruiters are exploiting economic hardship by offering men jobs in Russia in civilian roles – including in catering and transport. However, such offers may be accompanied by false promises about the nature of the work.
Other incentives include substantial one-off signing payments, high wages and the opportunity to obtain Russian citizenship.
- Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Kenya are trying to secure the return of their citizens who have ended up in the Russian army and were drawn into the war against Ukraine.