Africans Forced Into Russia’s War After Fake Job Offers

Dozens of African Migrants Forced Into Russia’s War After Fake Job Offers — Report

Kampala/Nairobi — Dozens of African nationals, including more than 200 Kenyans, have been deceived into joining Russia’s military after responding to fake overseas job advertisements, according to a detailed investigation by The Guardian. Many expected ordinary employment but were instead transported to military facilities and deployed to the frontline in Ukraine with little or no training.

According to the report, young jobseekers from Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and several other African countries have been recruited through informal networks and local employment agencies advertising plumbing, security, and manual labor positions in Russia. Upon arrival, many were allegedly coerced into military service, their travel documents confiscated, and their signatures obtained on paperwork written in Russian.

One Kenyan survivor, identified under a pseudonym for safety reasons, said he realized too late that he had been enrolled in the Russian armed forces. After being taken from the airport in St Petersburg to a private residence, he and other recruits were issued identical clothing and later taken to a police station for fingerprinting. The following day, he said they were registered at a military facility and handed Russian military identification cards.

Sent to the Front Without Training

The investigation found that the group was transported to Belgorod, near the Ukrainian border, and then issued weapons and combat uniforms. Several recruits reported being ordered directly into combat roles without instruction.

Some described being tasked with targeting Ukrainian drones, spending long hours concealed in forested areas where they were vulnerable to attack. Others recounted surviving drone strikes or witnessing fellow conscripts killed in action.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry has previously stated that more than 1,400 fighters from 36 African nations are believed to be serving with Russian units in Ukraine, with many now held as prisoners of war.

Growing Concerns Over Human Trafficking and Racist Abuse

Kenyan officials have acknowledged that hundreds of their citizens may have been trafficked through fraudulent recruitment schemes. Social media videos circulating in recent months appear to show African fighters being subjected to racist language and life-threatening coercion by Russian personnel. Although these videos cannot be independently verified, they align with earlier reports of Russian commanders sending soldiers on extremely high-risk missions.

Security analysts in East Africa say the trafficking networks exploit high unemployment rates and weak oversight of local recruitment agencies. Many recruits reportedly pay fees to secure what they believe are legitimate work opportunities abroad.

A Mother Searching for Answers

Families in Kenya continue to struggle for information about missing sons. One mother interviewed said her 22-year-old son traveled to Russia last August after being promised a security job. He later sent home images of military documents and a voice message indicating he might not survive his next deployment. He has not been heard from since.

Kenya’s foreign affairs ministry has confirmed that several repatriations have occurred, but it remains unclear how many citizens remain in active combat or have been detained.

A Survivor’s Escape

The Kenyan man who spoke anonymously to The Guardian described escaping after being injured in a drone blast while traveling with Russian soldiers. After receiving treatment in multiple hospitals, he fled to the Kenyan embassy in Moscow, more than 600 kilometers from his assigned base, and secured emergency travel documents. He is now home and recovering from surgery.

He said the trauma of combat continues to affect him: “When you see someone dying beside you, that stays with you.”