Ukraine says more than 1,400 Africans from dozens of countries fighting for Russia
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Russia is said to be enticing Africans to sign contracts that Ukraine's Foreign Minister described as “equivalent to... a death sentence”.
PHOTO: X/UNITED24MEDIA
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- Ukraine reports over 1,400 African citizens are fighting for Russia, enticed by contracts Kyiv calls "equivalent to... a death sentence".
- South Africa investigates 17 citizens joining mercenary forces, while Kenya reports citizens detained in Russian military camps.
- Ukraine plans to release details on the African countries and regions from which Russia is recruiting fighters for the war.
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KYIV – More than 1,400 citizens from three dozen African countries are fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, Kyiv’s Foreign Minister said on Nov 7.
Ukrainian officials say Russia has tried to bolster the force attacking its smaller neighbour by recruiting fighters from a variety of countries, sometimes through subterfuge.
Mr Andrii Sybiha said Russia was enticing Africans to sign contracts that he described as “equivalent to... a death sentence”, and urged African governments to warn their citizens.
“Foreign citizens in the Russian army have a sad fate,” he wrote on X.
“Most of them are immediately sent to the so-called ‘meat assaults’, where they are quickly killed.”
South Africa said on Nov 6 it would investigate how 17 of its citizens joined mercenary forces after the men sent distress calls for help to return home.
And Kenya said in October that some of its citizens had been detained in military camps across Russia after unknowingly getting caught up in the conflict.
Mr Sybiha said the total number of African recruits could be higher than the 1,436 identified, originating from 36 countries, and that most foreign mercenaries in Ukrainian custody had been captured during their first combat mission.
He said Ukraine would provide more specific information about the countries and regions from which Russia has recruited troops. REUTERS
