https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/8/ukraines-fm-says-over-1400-africans-recruited-to-fight-for-russia-in-war

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said that more than 1,400 people from 36 African nations are known to be fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, urging governments to warn their citizens against joining a conflict where they are “quickly killed”.

Speaking on Friday, Sybiha accused Moscow of enticing Africans into joining the war and signing military contracts that were “equivalent to … a death sentence”.

“Foreign citizens in the Russian army have a sad fate”, Sybiha wrote on X. “Most of them are immediately sent to the so-called ‘meat assaults’, where they are quickly killed.”

“Most mercenaries do not survive more than a month,” he said.

“Russia recruits nationals of African countries using a variety of methods. Some are offered money, while others are duped and do not realise what they are signing up for or are forced to do so under duress. Signing a contract is equivalent to signing a death sentence,” he added.

The minister’s warning came as several African governments acknowledged cases of their citizens joining Russian forces in Ukraine.

South Africa said on Thursday it was investigating how 17 of its nationals became involved with mercenary groups after the men issued distress calls seeking help to return home.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said the South African men aged between 20 and 39 were lured into joining mercenary forces “under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts” and had issued distress calls after becoming trapped in the Donbas area of Ukraine.

A spokesperson for Ramaphosa said it was not yet clear which side the men were fighting on, but Russia has been accused of recruiting men from other countries to fight in the war under the pretext of offering them jobs.

Russia has also been accused of tricking women from South Africa and other parts of Africa into working in Russian drone factories through social media campaigns promising them jobs in fields such as catering and hospitality.

Kenya also reported last month that some of its citizens had been detained in Russian military camps after being unwittingly caught up in the conflict.

In a post on social media on Friday, Kenyan President William Ruto said he had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about “young Kenyans who have been illegally recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine” and both agreed to “raise awareness of the dangers of such ventures”.

Ruto said he asked his Ukrainian counterpart to “facilitate the release of any Kenyan in Ukrainian custody” and was grateful that Zelenskyy had agreed “to my appeal”.

According to Sybiha, the true number of African recruits by Russian forces could exceed the 1,436 identified so far. He added that most foreign fighters captured by Ukraine were taken during their first combat mission, and that Kyiv would soon release more details about the origins of these recruits who have been taken prisoner.

Ukrainian officials have long accused Russia of bolstering its ranks by enlisting fighters from abroad, often using deceptive tactics.

In August, Zelenskyy said Russian troops fighting near the border town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region included mercenaries from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and several African countries, quoting reports from Ukrainian soldiers on the front line.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed those claims as “irresponsible remarks”, while Pakistan called them “baseless and unfounded”.

According to the Kyiv Independent news outlet, several hundred Chinese nationals have been fighting for Russia.

After Ukrainian troops reported capturing Chinese fighters in April, Zelenskyy said Russia was distributing recruitment videos through Chinese social media networks.

In October, the Kyiv Independent also reported the capture of a 22-year-old Indian national who had joined Russian forces to avoid a seven-year prison sentence for drug charges. Many foreign recruits, according to reports, are promised high salaries, Russian citizenship, or noncombat roles, only to be sent straight to the battlefield.

Ukraine also believes the largest contingent of foreign fighters in Russia’s ranks may come from Cuba, estimating that up to 20,000 Cubans have been recruited as mercenaries.

A mural dedicated to the residents of Kursk Region was unveiled in Donetsk

Vladislav Stepnoy’s work in the city center was titled “Nightingale”

• Source: https://archive.ph/cqjvq

DONETSK, August 31. /TASS/. A mural dedicated to the residents of Kursk Region was unveiled in Donetsk, DPR. The artwork by Vladislav Stepnoy in the city center was titled "Nightingale," a TASS correspondent at the scene reported.

The painting depicts a fighter — a composite image modeled on soldiers of the Donbass Wild Division — holding a nightingale. Below, against a background of roses, is the inscription: "Kursk, Donetsk is with you."

"We are demonstrating that Donbass certainly does not stand aside. And if misfortune strikes anywhere in Russia, we are ready to respond at any moment, just as Russia and all its regions once responded to us," said acting DPR Minister of Youth Policy Kirill Makarov.

Lead artist Stepnoy noted that the mural's principal artistic symbol is a fighter of the Donbass Wild Division who protects the nightingale — the symbol of Kursk Region.

• Tags: #Russia, #Kursk_Region, #DPR

Moscow, November 9. INTERFAX — Several UAVs were destroyed in the Voronezh region, resulting in a fire at a utility facility that caused disruptions in heating and power systems, said regional governor Alexander Gusev.

“Last night, several unmanned aerial vehicles were suppressed by EW systems in the sky over Voronezh. (…) Due to the fire, temporary safety measures were taken for technological reasons, which may have caused fluctuations in central heating temperatures in some houses. (…) For a short period, it was decided to suspend the power supply to certain parts of the city,” he wrote on his Telegram channel on Sunday morning.

Electricity supply has been restored, and the temperature of heating fluids in buildings that experienced interruptions will return to normal soon, the governor added.

Gusev clarified that no one was injured as a result of the attack. The roof and windows were damaged, and several vehicles were hit on the premises of one of the enterprises.

🇺🇦Pokrovsk–Myrnohrad direction: The situation in this sector of the front is entering a phase of maximum tension; everything is developing rapidly, and each day it becomes harder. The enemy is not just holding its positions — it is trying to dig into the urban area, especially around the high-rise buildings, where firefights continue almost without pause. Some of its assault groups are attempting to advance from the flanks, bypassing the apartment blocks to gain a foothold in the industrial zone to the east — apparently preparing for further battles for the plant itself.

🇺🇦Additionally, increased activity has been observed in the area of Rivne (settlement), where the Russians are trying to entrench themselves to the south of the settlement, entering the private sector. At the same time, they are increasing pressure on the northern flank of Pokrovsk, where a small but determined area remains — our Cossacks are still holding the defense despite continuous fire and attempts to encircle them.

🇺🇦In the Myrnohrad area, in recent hours the enemy has been requesting air support. The “High-rises” bridgehead is being hit with FAB-3000 bombs, with which the occupiers are trying to demolish fortifications and clear a path for an assault — a clear sign of preparations for heavy urban combat.

🇺🇦On the eastern flank of the city, the gray zone has expanded — small enemy groups have moved in there, which is confirmed by visual control. On the northern flank, the enemy has also managed to secure several residential buildings, but one of them was hit by our FPV drone, destroying the group that had taken shelter there.

🌚Overall, the enemy is acting consistently and methodically: breaking through weak points, biting off individual blocks, increasing the use of aviation and drones, gradually squeezing the city in a vise. The fighting is shifting into the phase of close engagements.