European Parliament: Russia Recruiting Thousands of Foreigners for War Against Ukraine
The European Parliament has released data highlighting the large-scale recruitment of foreign mercenaries into the Russian army for the war against Ukraine.
This is detailed in the resolution titled “On human trafficking and serious human rights violations related to the recruitment of citizens, including from Africa, for Russia’s aggressive war in Ukraine.”
The document notes that Russia has turned the recruitment of foreigners into a systematic scheme with characteristics of human trafficking. Thousands of citizens from over 36 African countries—including Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Ethiopia—are being lured to Russia through deception.
According to the MEPs, Russia is also actively recruiting in Asian countries and Cuba. Most recruits are low-income citizens who are misled with promises of work or education. Upon arrival in Russia, their passports are often confiscated, they are forced to sign contracts in a language they do not understand, and are sent to the front lines.
The resolution emphasizes that Russia uses deceit and coercion to recruit foreigners in order to sustain its aggressive war against Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian Coordinating Headquarters on the Treatment of Prisoners of War, by the end of 2025, more than 18,000 foreigners from about 50 countries—including Nepal and countries in Central Asia and Africa—were fighting on Russia’s side in the war against Ukraine.
Russia has intensified a multi-level campaign in African countries, combining educational, cultural, and religious initiatives with covert recruitment of citizens for participation in the war against Ukraine and work in defense enterprises. So far, more than 1,400 Africans have already been involved in such activities.
Latvia’s State Security Service (SDB) has officially confirmed a change in the tactics of Russian intelligence agencies within the country.
