We clearly see that Russia is trying to drag African citizens into a deadly war. According to our data, there are currently over 1,780 citizens from the African continent fighting in the Russian army. The African soldiers hail from 36 countries and are part of a trend that is crucial to counter Ukraine's military on the front lines.
Ichung'wah accused Russian embassy officials of colluding with recruitment agencies and human trafficking syndicates to recruit Kenyans to fight in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, under the guise of being given employment. He said the Russian embassy officials issued them tourist visas. "So far over 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited and departed to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war," Ichung'wah said.
Stephen Oduor was looking forward to starting his new job as a plumber in Russia to support his family after months of unemployment. But soon after landing in St Petersburg from Nairobi with six other Kenyans one afternoon last August, he started feeling something was off. The man who received them at the airport drove them to a house where their luggage was taken away and they were given black clothes and shoes to wear.
