Report Says Over 1,000 Kenyans Recruited to Fight for Russia in Ukraine

African outlets say Russia and its partners targeted vulnerable Kenyans and other Africans with false promises of jobs or education, then pushed them into the Ukraine war. They blame Russian recruiters and local middlemen for exploiting poverty and unemployment in Kenya and elsewhere. They expect louder demands on Nairobi and other African governments to secure the return of their citizens and to tighten controls on overseas recruitment.

• •African media say Russian-linked recruiters promised Kenyan men work or study in Russia but instead sent them toward the Ukraine front.
• •African reports claim more than 1,000 Kenyans have been taken to Ukraine after arriving in Russia.
• •African coverage says families in Kenya are organising protests and petitions to pressure the Kenyan government to bring their relatives home.
• •African outlets report that some returning South African fighters describe severe trauma and poor treatment after serving in Ukraine under Russian command.
• •African commentators argue that weak regulation of foreign labour recruitment in Kenya allowed these schemes to grow.