{"id":13515,"date":"2026-02-25T22:11:55","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T22:11:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=13515"},"modified":"2026-02-25T22:11:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T22:11:55","slug":"ukraine-alleges-russia-enlists-more-than-1700-africans-to-fight-russia-ukraine-war-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=13515","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine alleges Russia enlists more than 1,700 Africans to fight | Russia-Ukraine war News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"article__subhead\"><em>Ghana\u2019s foreign minister says many of the Africans are victims of deception, lured by \u2060the promise of jobs.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 25 Feb 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">25 Feb 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"google-preferred-source\"><button class=\"google-preferred-source__button\" aria-label=\"Add Al Jazeera on Google\" data-testid=\"google-preferred-source-button\"><svg class=\"icon icon--plus2 icon--primary icon--12 google-preferred-source__add-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>plus2<\/title><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M10.571 13.429H3.43c-.405 0-.744-.137-1.018-.411A1.382 1.382 0 0 1 2 12c0-.405.137-.744.41-1.018.275-.274.614-.41 1.019-.41h7.142V3.428c0-.405.137-.744.411-1.018C11.256 2.137 11.595 2 12 2s.744.137 1.018.41c.274.275.41.614.41 1.019v7.142h7.143c.405 0 .744.137 1.018.411.274.274.411.613.411 1.018s-.137.744-.41 1.018c-.274.274-.614.41-1.019.41H13.43v7.143c0 .405-.137.744-.411 1.018-.274.274-.613.411-1.018.411s-.744-.137-1.018-.41a1.382 1.382 0 0 1-.41-1.019V13.43Z\"\/><\/svg><svg class=\"icon icon--google icon--primary icon--16 google-preferred-source__google-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 17 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>google<\/title><g fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-path=\"url(#a)\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"><path fill=\"#4285F4\" d=\"M16.18 8.181c0-.567-.051-1.112-.145-1.636H8.5v3.094h4.305a3.68 3.68 0 0 1-1.596 2.415v2.007h2.585c1.513-1.393 2.386-3.443 2.386-5.88Z\"\/><path fill=\"#34A853\" d=\"M8.5 16c2.16 0 3.971-.717 5.295-1.939l-2.586-2.007c-.716.48-1.633.764-2.709.764-2.083 0-3.847-1.407-4.476-3.298H1.35v2.072A7.997 7.997 0 0 0 8.501 16Z\"\/><path fill=\"#FBBC05\" d=\"M4.024 9.519c-.16-.48-.251-.993-.251-1.52s.09-1.04.25-1.52V4.406H1.352A7.997 7.997 0 0 0 .5 8c0 1.29.31 2.513.85 3.593l2.674-2.073Z\"\/><path fill=\"#EA4335\" d=\"M8.5 3.182c1.175 0 2.23.403 3.058 1.196l2.295-2.294C12.467.793 10.656 0 8.5 0a7.997 7.997 0 0 0-7.149 4.407L4.024 6.48C4.653 4.59 6.417 3.182 8.5 3.182Z\"\/><\/g><defs><clippath id=\"a\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M.5 0h16v16H.5z\"\/><\/clippath><\/defs><\/svg><span class=\"google-preferred-source__text\">Add Al Jazeera on Google<\/span><\/button><button tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"See more of Al Jazeera\u2019s trusted journalism by adding us as a preferred source on Google.\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><svg class=\"icon icon--info icon--primary icon--16 google-preferred-source__info-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Ukraine has accused Russia of using deception to recruit more than 1,700 Africans to join its war effort as the conflict drags into a fifth year.<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha made the allegation on Wednesday during a news conference in Kyiv with his visiting Ghanaian counterpart, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. He accused Moscow of using fraudulent \u201cschemes\u201d to lure the foreign fighters.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>\u201cWe clearly see that Russia is trying to drag African citizens into a deadly war,\u201d Sybiha said. \u201cAccording to our data, there are currently over 1,780 citizens from the \u200cAfrican continent fighting in the Russian army.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The African soldiers hail from 36 countries and are part of a trend that Sybiha said is \u201ccrucial to counter\u201d Ukraine\u2019s military on the front lines.<\/p>\n<p>Russia has denied illegally recruiting African citizens to fight in its armed forces.<\/p>\n<p>However, reports of men from Africa \u2013 including South Africa, Kenya and Zimbabwe \u2013 being lured into Russia with promises of jobs and ending up on Ukrainian battlefields have become more frequent \u2060in recent months, creating tensions between Moscow and \u2060some countries involved.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"lured-and-deceived\">\u2018Lured and deceived\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Ablakwa said many of the Africans fighting for Russia are victims of deception, lured on the dark web with \u2060the promises of employment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have no security background. They have no military background. They have not been \u2060trained,\u201d Ablakwa said. \u201cThey were just lured and deceived \u2060and then put on the front lines.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ablakwa expressed solidarity with Ukraine and called for a ceasefire to end the war, which marked its fourth anniversary on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>He also appealed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to release two Ghanaian prisoners of war captured fighting for Russia.<\/p>\n<p>Ghana will seek to raise \u200cpublic \u200cawareness about trafficking networks using deception to recruit for the Russian forces during its upcoming presidency of the African Union next year, Ablakwa said.<\/p>\n<p>Zelenskyy confirmed on X he had \u201cdetailed discussions\u201d with the Ghanaian minister \u201con how Russia is recruiting citizens of Ghana and other African countries to take part in the war against Ukraine, and on how we can counter this\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>A day earlier, South Africa\u2019s Presidency announced it had secured the return home of 11 of its nationals who were \u201clured\u201d into fighting for Russia in Ukraine after having already repatriated four others.<\/p>\n<p>Russia previously acknowledged enlisting soldiers from North Korea to fight in Ukraine, thousands of whom are estimated to have been killed or wounded in battle.<\/p>\n<p>After Ukrainian forces in 2024 took control of parts of Kursk, a Russian region on the border with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed North Korean soldiers who participated in the campaign to retake the territory as \u201cheroic\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ghana\u2019s foreign minister says many of the Africans are victims of deception, lured by \u2060the promise of jobs. Published On 25 Feb 202625 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Ukraine has accused Russia of using deception to recruit more than 1,700 Africans to join its [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13515"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13515\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}