Russia recruiting Africans for Ukraine war – Envoy

The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, has alleged that Russia is recruiting Nigerians and other Africans to support its war effort in Ukraine.

Mignot made the claim on Tuesday while speaking on Channels Television’s programme, The Morning Brief, as the Russia-Ukraine war marked its fourth anniversary.

According to the envoy, reports from civil society organisations suggest that the recruitment of Africans by Russia is an emerging trend.

“There is another important phenomenon which is impacting Africa, which is recruitment of African men and women by Russia. Women to be sent and work in military plants in Russia and men to be sent as cannon fodder on the front. Of course they are being lured with job promises,” Mignot said.

He alleged that Russia is turning to Africa due to mounting military pressure and a shortage of personnel.

“Russia is running out of soldiers, so they have been growingly doing that including with Nigerians, and it’s extremely crude sending these people who have absolutely nothing to do with this war to die on the front,” he said.

“Some of them have been captured by the Ukrainian army, and this is something I think African countries have started to react to. We have seen even the Nigerian government publish a communique on this phenomenon of recruitment into war — they did not mention Russia.”

Addressing claims that Russia is gradually gaining ground in the conflict, Mignot rejected that view.

“There are other false perceptions about this war, the impression that Russia is winning the war little by little — no, it is not. There is a stalemate at the front. Actually in the last few weeks it is Ukraine which has reclaimed a few hundred square kilometres of territory,” he said.

He, however, noted that the conflict is unlikely to end through military means in the near future, arguing that sustained international pressure would be required to bring Russia to the negotiating table.

Russia has denied allegations that it is recruiting Africans to fight in Ukraine, describing such claims as unfounded.

Mignot maintained that testimonies from Africans allegedly recruited into the war contradict Moscow’s position.

On February 21, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised the independence of Ukraine’s eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where pro-Russian separatists had been engaged in fighting with Ukrainian forces since 2014.

Three days later, Russia launched what Putin described as a “special military operation” aimed at the “de-Nazification” and “demilitarisation” of Ukraine.

Four years into the conflict, the war has resulted in significant casualties and displaced millions of people from their homes.

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