KYIV, Ukraine- More than 1,700 Africans are currently fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said, accusing Moscow of using deception to lure civilians into the conflict.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Ghana’s foreign minister, Sybiha said Ukraine was engaging African governments to prevent their citizens from being drawn into what he described as fraudulent recruitment schemes.
“We clearly see that Russia is trying to drag African citizens into a deadly war,” Sybiha said. “According to our data, there are currently over 1,780 citizens from the African continent fighting in the Russian army.”
Recruits From 36 African Countries
Sybiha said the African fighters originate from 36 countries across the continent, underlining what Kyiv views as a growing and organised effort to source manpower beyond Russia’s borders.
Russian authorities have denied illegally recruiting Africans, insisting that all foreign nationals fighting for Moscow do so voluntarily.
However, reports of African men being promised civilian jobs in Russia — only to be sent to the Ukrainian front line — have surged in recent months, straining Moscow’s diplomatic ties with several African capitals.
‘Lured and Deceived’
Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said many of the Africans fighting for Russia had no military background and were victims of online deception.
“They have no security background. They have no military background. They have not been trained,” Ablakwa said. “They were just lured and deceived, and then put on the frontlines.”
Ablakwa added that some recruits were targeted through dark web platforms advertising what appeared to be ordinary jobs.
African Union Role and Prisoners of War
Ghana, which is set to chair the African Union regional bloc next year, said it would prioritise public awareness campaigns to counter trafficking and recruitment networks linked to the war.
Ablakwa also expressed solidarity with Ukraine and called for a ceasefire, as the conflict marked its fourth anniversary this week.
He said he would formally ask Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to release two Ghanaian prisoners of war who were captured while fighting for Russian forces.
A Growing Diplomatic Flashpoint
The presence of African fighters in Ukraine has emerged as a sensitive diplomatic issue, as African governments balance relations with both Moscow and Kyiv.
For Ukraine, the issue underscores its broader claim that Russia is increasingly relying on unconventional recruitment methods to sustain its war effort — even beyond Europe.
For African states, it raises urgent questions about labour trafficking, digital recruitment scams, and the protection of citizens abroad.
As Sybiha warned, stopping the flow of African recruits has become “a shared responsibility” between Ukraine and African governments — one that is now firmly on the diplomatic agenda.
