Russia widens African recruitment for war in Ukraine, led by Burundi and Zimbabwe

Recruitment reaches beyond earlier hubs

Bloomberg, citing a presentation it obtained from people familiar with the work of Ukrainian intelligence, reports that Russia is expanding recruitment of African citizens to fill personnel gaps in its armed forces. The document says the programme is meant to offset heavy losses and a shortage of people available for mobilization. Between 1 January and 30 September 2026, Russia recruited 699 men from Burundi, compared with 30 in all of 2025, and 530 citizens of Zimbabwe, compared with 65 in 2025. The presentation also flags significant increases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Cameroon. Zimbabwe, Burundi and Sierra Leone are named among the countries where the campaign grew over the first nine months of 2026.

Burundi, 2025 full year30

Burundi, Jan-Sep 2026699

Zimbabwe, 202565

Zimbabwe, Jan-Sep 2026530

Burundi, 2025 full year

30 people

Burundi, Jan-Sep 2026

699 people

Zimbabwe, 2025

65 people

Zimbabwe, Jan-Sep 2026

530 people

Data from the article text

Governments push back

Bloomberg reports that Kenya and South Africa issued warnings, which led Moscow to turn toward poorer countries. Botswana and South Africa have publicly warned against job offers in Russia that could amount to recruitment for the military. Zimbabwe detained two Russian nationals suspected of recruiting for the Russian military. Kenya and Ghana have demanded that Moscow halt the practice immediately, and Kenyan politicians estimate that at least 1,000 Kenyan citizens have been recruited into the Russian army. Kenya's foreign affairs chief, Musalia Mudavadi, travelled to Moscow in early 2026 to protest the recruitment.

Lures and alleged coercion

Recruiters often promote civilian jobs in catering or transport that do not match the work recruits later receive. Relatives of recruits and an Amnesty International report published in September 2026 describe large signing bonuses, high salaries and the prospect of Russian citizenship as further inducements. In Zimbabwe, online adverts featured a soldier and promoted a programme for specialists with a limited number of places. On 26 October, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on crimes in the war in Ukraine said Russian authorities had trafficked people from 29 countries using deception or coercion to recruit them into the Russian armed forces.

Kremlin position and wider scale

The Kremlin has never publicly acknowledged using foreigners in the war against Ukraine and maintains that the country has enough personnel. In September 2026, President Vladimir Putin rejected speculation that he would soon announce a new mobilization. Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said nearly 46,000 foreigners had signed contracts with the Russian army by autumn 2026. Independent sources such as The Defense Post report citizens of more than 150 countries and territories fighting for Russia. Recruitment in Madagascar is the first since the full-scale war began, following a military coup there in 2025 that brought closer ties with Moscow, including Russian military equipment and food supplies.