Russia: African Soldiers & Wagner – Tactics Exposed

Russia has recruited at least 32 South Africans to fight in Ukraine since 2023, according to research presented Friday by European researchers and a diplomat. The recruitment tactics, which include deceptive job offers and visa manipulation, are part of a broader effort to supplement Russian forces with foreign fighters.

South African Recruitment for Ukraine Conflict

Researchers Thierry Vircoulon and Vincent Gaudio, along with Ukrainian foreign ministry’s Director-General of African Affairs Liubov Abravitova, detailed alleged tactics used by the Russian military to bolster its ranks.

According to Inpact, a Swiss NGO, a total of 1,417 African men have been recruited by Russia between 2023 and 2025. Egypt and Cameroon have provided the largest numbers of recruits, with 361 and 335 respectively. The average age of recruits is 31, with most falling between 18 and 25 years old.

Hijacking of Visas

Vircoulon, Senior Researcher at the French Institute of International Relations, explained that recruitment occurs through both public advertisements and a “discreet” form of coercion. This involves offering unskilled work with quick visa approvals through entities posing as work and travel agencies.

Co-founder of Inpact, Vincent Gaudio, stated that recruitment has become a business, particularly in countries with high unemployment. Once recruited, individuals receive basic military training and are then deployed to the frontlines.

Gaudio also accused Russia of manipulating visa extensions, deceiving migrants into signing contracts before being issued battle fatigues.

Over 1,400 Africans Recruited in Two Years

The researchers referenced the Wagner Group, a Russian state-funded private military company, as being involved in recruitment operations. Vircoulon described the recruiters as individuals aged between 30 and 40, with backgrounds in civil society, business, and politics.

In South Africa, the uMhkonto weSizwe (MK) Party, and specifically Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, were linked to the recruitment of South Africans. The MK party has been identified as being aligned to Russia. The party did not respond to requests for comment.

Families of recruits have reported difficulties receiving payments, or receiving less than the initially promised amount. Recruits also face a high mortality rate due to a lack of adequate training. Families have also been asked to pay for the repatriation of bodies.

While a “minority” of recruits may be aware they are entering military service, most are reportedly lured under false pretenses.

The vast majority of recruits are men, though some women have been recruited to work in factories supporting the war effort, such as those manufacturing drones.

Vircoulon suggested that the recruitment of foreign fighters indicates Russia’s inability to recruit its own citizens and that Africans represent a cheaper labor source. He added that the practice extends to impoverished regions of Asia and the Middle East.

‘Complicity in international crimes’

Kenya was among the first nations to raise concerns, demanding the return of its citizens and an end to Russian exploitation. Russia has repatriated some recruits, a move Vircoulon described as “a surprise” given that these individuals are witnesses to alleged Russian abuses.

Abravitova stated that Russia requires 156 soldiers per square kilometer of Ukrainian territory, necessitating a large influx of manpower.

She also noted that President Volodymyr Zelensky signed legislation allowing foreign enlistment in the Ukrainian army, but acknowledged that this has presented legal challenges, as it conflicts with the laws of many countries.

Vircoulon contrasted the Russian recruitment tactics with France’s Foreign Legion, stating that the French process is implemented differently and does not involve misrepresentation or non-payment.

The South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) previously cited the Regulation of the Foreign Military Assistance Act regarding South Africans joining foreign armed forces, warning that citizenship could be lost for naturalized residents and emphasizing the risk of “inadvertent complicity in international crimes.”