Russia expands recruitment in Africa as UN finds evidence of human trafficking into its army

A separate United Nations investigation has concluded that Russian authorities, working with recruitment agents, trafficked people from 29 countries into the Russian armed forces through deception or coercion.

According to the Ukrainian intelligence presentation obtained by Bloomberg, Russia has increasingly recruited men from Burundi, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone as countries including Kenya and South Africa seek to prevent their citizens from joining Russia's war against Ukraine.

The presentation says the campaign aims to offset heavy Russian military losses and a shortage of available recruits.

Between January and September 2026, Russia recruited 699 men from Burundi, compared with 30 throughout 2025. Recruitment from Zimbabwe rose to 530 over the same nine-month period, up from 65 in all of last year.

Significant increases were also recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Cameroon.

Ukraine has identified 45,959 foreign nationals from 151 countries who signed contracts with the Russian military, including 5,451 people from African countries, according to the intelligence findings cited by Bloomberg.

Promised civilian jobs, sent to the front

In a report released on October 26, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine described an international recruitment network that offered men apparently legitimate jobs in Russia, including positions as drivers, mechanics, security guards and construction workers.

Recruitment agents arranged travel and visas, sometimes presenting themselves as government-approved businesses. After arriving in Russia, recruits were forced to sign military contracts written in Russian, a language many did not understand. Their passports and phones were often confiscated.

The commission documented cases in which men who refused to sign were threatened with violence or death.

One group of 30 recruits received a written guarantee that they would not be sent to fight in Ukraine. According to the commission, 17 members of that group have since died on the front line, five are missing and one returned after being wounded.

The commission found that foreign recruits were frequently assigned dangerous frontline duties, particularly assault operations. Some reported beatings, detention and death threats from Russian commanders. Drones were also used to prevent soldiers from retreating.

Its investigation drew on 245 testimonies from recruits, their families and other sources, as well as travel documents and Russian military contracts.

The commission concluded that Russian authorities had committed human trafficking. It also clarified that victims incorporated into the Russian armed forces are not legally classified as mercenaries and are entitled to prisoner-of-war protections if captured.

The report additionally documented allegations of violence against some foreign recruits after their capture by Ukrainian authorities.

African governments raise concerns

Several African governments have taken steps to counter the recruitment campaign.

Kenyan politicians have said at least 1,000 Kenyan citizens were recruited by Russia. Botswana's foreign minister said on October 26 that 15 recruited citizens were missing, while Zimbabwe has arrested two Russian nationals suspected of military recruitment.

According to Bloomberg, Russia has also resumed recruiting in Madagascar for the first time since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin maintains that Russia has sufficient military personnel. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not respond to Bloomberg's request for comment.

The UN commission called on Russia to end deceptive and coercive recruitment, release trafficking victims serving in its military and investigate those responsible. It also urged Ukraine to ensure appropriate protections and arrangements for foreign prisoners of war who were victims of trafficking.