African prisoners of war held in a military prison south of Lviv, Ukraine, have revealed the deceptive tactics used to recruit them into fighting for Moscow. These individuals were promised jobs, financial stability, or Russian citizenship, only to find themselves thrust into the most perilous zones of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Many African recruits were drawn in by the allure of better opportunities, while some sought to escape visa-related imprisonment. Instead of fulfilling these promises, they were sent directly to the front lines. According to a report by Daily Maverick on August 2, these recruits now find themselves in a Ukrainian military facility housing 600 prisoners of war.

NATO officials report that approximately 24,000 foreign mercenaries from 44 countries are fighting alongside Russian forces, with a significant number hailing from Africa. Between February 2022 and July 2026, over 3,500 foreign nationals from more than 40 countries, including Ecuador, Uganda, and the US, have perished fighting for Russia. Additionally, 2,304 North Korean soldiers have died, primarily in Russia’s Kursk region following Ukraine’s August 2024 offensive.

Russia has suffered over 500,000 deaths and twice as many injuries, with heavy casualties among foreign recruits. TT, a 37-year-old farmer from Zimbabwe, was recruited through Facebook by a man using the alias “Mohammed Mohammed.” Promised training and a lucrative salary, TT was instead sent to the front lines with minimal resources and no clear mission.

TT described the harrowing conditions, stating, “We set off with four magazines, three bottles of water, and some nuts. The drones don’t let us rise more than a few meters at a time. It’s a very dangerous game. Every 30 seconds we had to duck. Every few meters lie corpses, over a thousand corpses. People are killed while you watch. I saw it with my own eyes.”

Another recruit, FNN from Kenya, was similarly deceived. After signing a contract in Russia, he was deployed to the front lines, receiving only a fraction of the promised compensation. KE, another Kenyan, was captured after stepping on a landmine, having been misled into believing he would compete and work in Russia.

These stories highlight the grim reality faced by African recruits who were lured to Russia under false pretenses. Stripped of their documents and sent into combat, they endure severe hardships and are often excluded from prisoner exchange negotiations by Moscow.