A sweeping new investigation has documented that at least 1,417 African nationals were recruited to fight for the Russian army in Ukraine between January 2023 and September 2025.

The figure includes 55 Ghanaians confirmed killed in the conflict, exposing a covert and deadly network exploiting vulnerable young people across the continent.

The findings are contained in a report titled “The Business of Despair,” published in February 2026 by the Swiss-based investigative group INPACT, in collaboration with the All Eyes on Wagner project.

The report provides the most detailed evidence to date of what it calls a “deliberate and organized strategy” by Moscow to address personnel shortages by exploiting socio-economic vulnerabilities across Africa.

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The Scale of the Operation

According to the investigation, Cameroonian nationals suffered the highest number of confirmed deaths at 94, followed by Ghanaians with 55, and Egyptians with 52.

In total, INPACT documented 316 African recruits killed in action, though researchers warn the actual figure is likely significantly higher.

The report is based on verified files containing the names, dates of birth, military registration numbers, contract signing dates, and units of affiliation for 1,417 African nationals who signed contracts with the Russian army. A separate list details those killed, including their recorded date of death and months of service before being killed.

INPACT investigators verified the authenticity of the lists by cross-referencing digital traces, including social media postings left by the purported recruits.

How the Recruitment Network Operates

The investigation reveals a sophisticated transnational network exploiting young Africans’ aspirations for education, employment, and migration.

“Recruitment tactics target young people aspiring to pursue higher education abroad, particularly in fields presented as strategic; job seekers eager for economic opportunities; and candidates for irregular migration to Europe, for whom Russia is presented as an alternative route,” the report states .

The infrastructure includes travel agencies operating as logistical intermediaries, local pro-Russian individuals and organisations, and co-optation networks where former recruits become recruiters themselves. Bogus job offers, promises of scholarships, and administrative regularisation are common lures.

In some cases, victims pay significant sums—between $13,000 and $18,000 in documented Kenyan cases—to foreign companies purportedly handling visa processing and travel logistics.

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‘Cannon Fodder’ on the Front Lines

Once in Russia, recruits face a brutal reality. Instead of civilian employment, they are funnelled into military service and deployed to Ukraine, often with minimal training.

INPACT’s research indicates that African recruits are integrated into assault waves designed to overwhelm Ukrainian defensive lines, contributing to a strategy of attrition . The mortality rate is staggering: of the documented recruits, 316 died in combat—on average, within six months of arrival. Fifty-one Africans died within a month of reaching the front.

Kenyan junior foreign minister Abraham Korir Sing’Oei has publicly stated that Russia is using the recruits as “cannon fodder” at the front.

Testimonies gathered by investigators paint a harrowing picture. A Nigerian recruit, Bankole Manchi, described being transported to a military camp upon arrival in Moscow alongside recruits from Ghana, France, Brazil, and China. “Once you enter the camp, there is no going back,” he recalled. After training, they were deployed under cover of darkness and found themselves inside Ukrainian territory under heavy fire.

A widely viewed video posted online showed a Kenyan recruit named Francis with an anti-tank mine strapped to his chest, as a Russian soldier hurled racist slurs and said he would be used as a “can opener” to breach Ukrainian lines.

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Promises Never Kept

Recruits were enticed with offers that never materialized. Advertisements promised initial cash payments of US$2,000 to US$30,000 and monthly salaries of US$2,000 to US$5,000, plus health insurance and Russian citizenship. In many African countries, these represent enormous sums.

At least one Russian operator, posing as a visa agent in Kenyan social media groups, boasted privately to an INPACT investigator that he was a member of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) — the former KGB.

African Governments Begin to Respond

The revelations have prompted action from some African governments, raising questions about Ghana’s official response.

Kenya’s foreign minister Musalia Mudavadi has announced he will travel to Moscow to address the cases of dozens of Kenyan nationals. Kenyan authorities have arrested and arraigned recruitment agents, and a Russian businessman linked to the network was deported.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa raised the issue directly with Vladimir Putin in a February 11 phone call, seeking the repatriation of 17 South African citizens. Five South Africans, including a state broadcaster radio host, are currently on trial for allegedly violating anti-mercenary laws by recruiting citizens for the Russian army.

Cameroon has also signaled measures to prevent citizen enlistment in external conflicts.

Questions for Ghana

With 55 confirmed Ghanaian casualties—the second-highest on the continent—the report raises urgent questions for Ghanaian authorities:

• What is the government’s level of awareness regarding these recruitment networks operating within or targeting Ghana?
• What steps are being taken to identify and dismantle any local recruitment infrastructure?
• How is the government supporting the families of deceased victims and seeking the return of any surviving Ghanaians still trapped in the conflict zone?
• What diplomatic representations, if any, have been made to Russian authorities?

As of the time of publication, official responses from Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of the Interior have not been publicly detailed.

A Continental Crisis

The INPACT investigation reveal a broader crisis: the exploitation of Africa’s youth by shadowy networks operating with impunity across borders.

“Economic hardship across Africa is being exploited by shadowy recruitment networks, with young men particularly vulnerable to being drawn into foreign wars under the guise of employment,” the report warns.

Recruitment postings continue to appear on official platforms. INPACT flagged advertisements on a Kenyan government job site seeking 84 livestock managers and 11 butchers for the Russia/Kazakhstan region—positions requiring master’s degrees in animal nutrition and bachelor’s degrees in veterinary science for work described as pig farming and butchery.

“The ads share similarities: a two-year contract and a salary of 60,000 RUB (approximately US$660 monthly). Clicking on the offers confirms that they are only for positions in Russia,” the report notes.

‘The Business of Despair’

INPACT’s report concludes that the recruitment networks have generated “a commercial ecosystem that has created opportunities for individuals and businesses to enrich themselves from human misery”.

For the families of the 55 Ghanaian nationals confirmed killed—and for unknown others whose deaths remain undocumented—that misery is now a permanent reality.

The full INPACT report, “The Business of Despair,” is available through the organization’s website. The investigation continues to document cases and track recruitment networks across the continent.