Burundi 699, Zimbabwe 530: Russia Widens African Recruitment, Ukrainian Data Seen by Bloomberg Shows

Russia is stepping up recruitment of Africans, with Burundi, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone among the countries targeted this year, according to a Ukrainian intelligence presentation seen by Bloomberg and reported on October 26, 2026. Between January 1 and September 30, the presentation says, Russia recruited 699 men from Burundi, compared with 30 in all of 2025, and 530 Zimbabweans, up from 65. The presentation describes the aim as "offsetting massive losses and a shortage of people to mobilize".

See also: African prisoners of war address the Russia-Africa forum participants

The Key Figures Provided by Bloomberg

• 45,959 foreigners from 151 countries have signed contracts with Russia's military, according to Ukraine's intelligence service.
• 5,451 of them are Africans, also according to Ukraine's intelligence. That is about 12% of the total.
• At least 9 African countries are ones where Russia has virtually halted military recruitment.
• 29 countries are those from which people were trafficked into Russia's armed forces, according to the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, which based its findings on 245 interviews.
• 15 Botswanans have been recruited and are missing, according to Botswana's foreign minister.
• At least 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited, according to Kenyan politicians.

Recruitment by Country, January to September 2026

The presentation shows sharp rises in several countries compared with the whole of 2025.

Burundi: 699 men were recruited from January 1 to September 30, 2026, against 30 in all of 2025. That is about 23 times last year's total, by our calculation.

Zimbabwe: 530 were recruited over the same nine months, against 65 in all of 2025. That is about eight times last year's total, by our calculation.

Bloomberg says other countries with significant increases include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Cameroon. Russia also started recruiting in Madagascar for the first time since the war began.

Where Recruitment Has Stopped, and Why

At the same time, Russia virtually halted military recruitment in at least nine African countries, according to the presentation, and is instead seeking to hire their citizens to work in the defence industry. Bloomberg says the push into new countries came after Kenya and South Africa sought to stop men leaving to join Russia's war, and that Russia has now turned to countries with poor democratic credentials, limited press freedom and a weak judiciary.

Governments' Responses

Bloomberg lists the responses of African governments. Botswana and South Africa issued public warnings about lucrative-sounding jobs in Russia. Zimbabwe arrested two Russian citizens it suspected of recruiting for the military. Kenya and Ghana directly asked Russia to stop, and Kenya's Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi travelled to Moscow earlier this year to object. On Monday, Botswana's foreign minister said in reply to a parliamentary question that 15 recruited Botswanans are missing and that the country has contacted both Ukrainian and Russian authorities.

What the Recruits Are Told

The presentation included an online advert allegedly used in Zimbabwe, showing an African man in military uniform and promoting a "program for specialists from Zimbabwe, limited spots". It asks people to click a link and take a test to see if they qualify. It does not say that those who sign up will end up on the front line. Bloomberg says recruits are often lured with false promises of civilian jobs such as catering or transport, or with large signing bonuses, salaries and a path to Russian citizenship, according to families of recruits and an Amnesty International report last month.

The UN Findings

In a report released on Monday, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said Russian authorities "have trafficked persons from 29 countries, using deception or coercion, to recruit them in the Russian armed forces". The commission said a global network of agents working with Russian authorities organised the transfer of recruits, who were then coerced on arrival to sign contracts they did not understand and were transferred to the armed forces. It based its findings on 245 interviews with fighters captured by Ukraine or who had made their way home, and with recruits' families. They were aged 18 to 60 and came from countries including Jordan, Uganda, Peru and Uzbekistan.

Russia's Position

Bloomberg noted that Russia has never publicly acknowledged using foreigners to fight in Ukraine, and that the Kremlin has said the country has enough manpower for the war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not respond to Bloomberg's request for comment.

A Safe Way Out

Africans and other foreign nationals lured into Russia's armed forces have an option to safely escape the battlefield with Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. See our FAQ for recommendations for victims of Russian military recruitment and their families.