Roughly 270 Ghanaians and 1,700 Other Africans Fighting Alongside Russia, Kyiv Says
Ukraine has reported that approximately 272 Ghanaian citizens and around 1,700 other nationals from across Africa are currently fighting with Russian forces. The claim, made following a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, highlights a broadening recruitment effort by Russia beyond its immediate neighbors. This development underscores the increasingly international nature of the conflict in Ukraine.
According to a statement released after the meeting, Ablakwa assured Zelensky that African citizens joining the Russian military were not acting under the direction of their governments. He stated that those who have traveled to fight in Ukraine “are victims of manipulation, disinformation” by “criminal networks of traffickers” who promise them “decent perform” in Russia. “They have no background in security, no military background. They have not been trained and they have simply been lured, then deceived and sent to the front lines,” Ablakwa said.
Several African nations, including Kenya and Uganda, have recently begun to uncover the fates of their citizens who were recruited into the Russian military, with many reportedly killed or captured in Ukraine. Journalists from Agence France-Presse (AFP) encountered prisoners of war from Kenya, Togo, Cameroon and Nigeria during a visit to a Ukrainian prison in late 2025.
AFP interviews with Kenyans who managed to return home revealed accounts of dozens of Africans encountered in Russian training camps or on the front lines, originating from countries including Nigeria, Cameroon, Egypt, and South Africa. These individuals reported being misled with promises of well-paying civilian jobs in Russia, only to be forcibly conscripted into the Russian army and deployed to Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials estimate that nearly 20,000 foreign fighters are participating in the invasion of Ukraine, excluding those from North Korea who joined following an agreement between the two states. While citizens of former Soviet republics and Central Asian countries comprise a portion of this contingent, the Russian military is also actively seeking soldiers from Africa, Latin America, and other regions of Asia.
