As war losses near 2 million, Russia accused of trafficking foreign recruits from Africa, Asia

As the warfare successful Ukraine enters its 5th year, the cardinal situation facing some Moscow and Kyiv is nary longer territory alone. It is manpower.

Both Russia and Ukraine look a increasing manpower crisis. Western estimates enactment Ukrainian subject casualties astatine astir 500,000 to 600,000 since 2022, including much than 100,000 killed, portion Russia is believed to person suffered astir 1.2 cardinal casualties. Combined battlefield casualties connected some sides whitethorn present beryllium approaching 2 million, according to caller analyses.

Now, successful an exclusive connection to Fox News Digital, the Ukrainian quality rights enactment Truth Hounds said Russia is progressively turning to susceptible overseas nationals, including recruits from Africa and Asia, done coercive and deceptive recruitment practices that successful immoderate cases whitethorn magnitude to quality trafficking.

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Portraits of Ukrainian soldiers are seen astatine the Memorial for the Fallen astatine Independence Square connected the 3rd day of Russia's penetration successful Kyiv, Ukraine, connected Feb. 24, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)

"The patterns of recruitment successful antithetic countries and regions are rather similar," Truth Hounds said. "Two main categories for overseas fighters could beryllium defined. First, persons who were already successful Russia, specified arsenic students and migrant workers. Second, those who were recruited successful their countries of origin."

According to the organization, galore recruits were promised civilian jobs with substantially higher salaries than successful their location countries but were aboriginal compelled to motion subject contracts written successful Russian without translation.

"In galore of these cases — some erstwhile recruitment happens extracurricular and wrong Russia — determination are plentifulness of facts indicating imaginable quality trafficking," the radical said.

Truth Hounds said it documented cases successful which individuals detained wrong Russia were beaten, tortured oregon different coerced into signing subject contracts.

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Nationals of African countries beryllium successful a dedicated conception wherever overseas fighters captured portion serving with Russian forces successful Ukraine are held astatine a detention halfway for Russian prisoners of warfare successful occidental Ukraine, connected Nov. 26, 2025. Since Russia invaded Ukraine successful 2022, galore reports person emerged of African nationals warring alongside Moscow's forces, with immoderate accusing the Russian subject of utilizing deceptive tactics to enlistee them. In November 2025, Kyiv said it had identified 1,426 fighters from 36 African countries serving successful the Russian army. (Genya Savilov / AFP via Getty Images)

"Under specified circumstances, it is hard to qualify their enlistment successful the Russian service arsenic voluntary. Rather, these cases impact coercion into subject work and exploitation — patterns that are accordant crossed documented cases globally, erstwhile it comes to Russian recruitment practices," the enactment said.

The radical cited figures from Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War indicating that much than 18,000 foreigners had joined the Russian service arsenic of precocious past year, with the fig continuing to grow. Truth Hounds said its interviews with overseas prisoners of war, including respective from African states, revealed akin recruitment patterns.

A worker from a Ukrainian 2S22 Bohdana 155mm self-propelled howitzer unit of the Striletskyi peculiar forces constabulary battalion of the National Police successful the Zaporizhzhia portion walks on a trench astatine a presumption successful the Pokrovsky absorption successful the Donetsk region, Ukraine, connected Jan. 23, 2026. (Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform/Nur Photo via Getty Images)

According to a study published by INPACT successful February 2026, astir 1,500 Africans were enlisted betwixt 2023 and mid-2025, 316 of whom died due to the fact that of a fewer kilometers of snowfall successful Ukraine, a nonaccomplishment complaint of 22%. Many others are missing oregon cannot beryllium reached by their families.

At the aforesaid time, the enactment cautioned that not each overseas recruits were forced to serve, noting that immoderate joined with a afloat knowing of the intent of their question to Russia and the presumption of the contract, though the proportionality remains unclear.

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Nationals of African countries ticker TV successful a dedicated conception wherever overseas fighters captured portion serving with Russian forces successful Ukraine are held astatine a detention halfway for Russian prisoners of warfare successful occidental Ukraine, connected Nov. 26, 2025. Since Russia invaded Ukraine successful 2022, galore reports person emerged of African nationals warring alongside Moscow's forces, with immoderate accusing the Russian subject of utilizing deceptive tactics to enlistee them. In November 2025, Kyiv said it had identified 1,426 fighters from 36 African countries serving successful the Russian army. (Photo by Genya Savilov / AFP via Getty Images)

The allegations travel arsenic African leaders person begun publically raising the issue. Kenya’s overseas curate said Nairobi would face Russian authorities implicit the recruitment of Kenyan nationals, portion South African President Cyril Ramaphosa raised concerns with Russian President Vladimir Putin pursuing distress calls from South African citizens believed to beryllium caught successful the conflict, according to Reuters.

Truth Hounds said the ineligible presumption of overseas fighters presents a analyzable overlap betwixt planetary humanitarian instrumentality and planetary quality rights law. Individuals who motion contracts with Russia’s Ministry of Defense are treated arsenic members of the equipped forces and are entitled to prisoner-of-war protections, though immoderate cases whitethorn besides conscionable the criteria for quality trafficking, creating further ineligible questions.

"The main question remains however to efficaciously halt Russia from recruiting specified individuals and clasp it accountable for the ruined lives of those who person already ended up there," the enactment said.

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Cadets of a subject academy screen the coffin with flags during the ceremonial of Dmitry Menshikov, a mercenary for the backstage Russian subject institution Wagner Group, killed during the subject struggle successful Ukraine, successful the Alley of Heroes astatine a cemetery successful Saint Petersburg, Russia, connected Dec. 24, 2022. (Igor Russak/Reuters)

Moscow has antecedently said overseas nationals whitethorn voluntarily enlist successful its equipped forces. It has not publically acknowledged coercive recruitment practices.

As the warfare grinds on, the conflict for manpower is stretching beyond Europe’s borders, pulling successful susceptible populations from Africa and Asia and raising caller diplomatic and ineligible challenges for governments acold from the beforehand lines.