Russia Allegedly Forcing Nigerian and Other African Students to Fight in Ukraine for Visa Renewal

Russia is reportedly compelling thousands of migrants and international students to join its military efforts in Ukraine in exchange for visa renewals, according to Bloomberg.

European officials allege that the Kremlin uses tactics the Wagner mercenary group first employed to bolster its military ranks.

These officials claim that Russia has threatened to withhold visa extensions from African students and young workers unless they agree to military service.

Additionally, convicts have been recruited from prisons, and some African workers on visas have faced detention and were forced to choose between deportation or fighting.

Some individuals have reportedly bribed officials to avoid conscription while remaining in the country.

The practice of pressuring migrants and students into combat roles began earlier in the conflict, one European official noted, leading to high casualty rates among these groups as they are often deployed in hazardous offensive operations to protect more trained units.

A spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Reports citing Ukrainian intelligence suggest that Russia has launched a global recruitment drive, enlisting foreign mercenaries from at least 21 countries, including several African nations.

These recruitment efforts include offers of lucrative signing bonuses and salaries for contract soldiers. Recruiters have also targeted migrants and students with promises of lucrative employment, only to coerce them into military service.

This strategy could significantly impact the war as President Vladimir Putin seeks to leverage the shift in momentum. Despite suffering heavy losses and a shortage of troops and ammunition on the Ukrainian side, Russian forces have made slow progress in northeastern Ukraine.

According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the Russian military lost over 1,200 personnel daily in May, the highest casualty rate since the war began. The UK estimates that Russia has seen approximately 500,000 personnel killed or wounded since the invasion started. Bloomberg could not independently verify these figures.

In a meeting with foreign media in St. Petersburg, Putin suggested that about 10,000 Russian troops are killed or wounded monthly, with Ukrainian losses purportedly five times higher. Despite failing to achieve a significant breakthrough on the battlefield, the Kremlin has intensified its bombing campaign against Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, seemingly to render it uninhabitable.

While Putin has resisted total mobilization, the Kremlin claims it has replenished its losses through voluntary recruitment, attracting tens of thousands of people.

Earlier this year, the Nepali government acknowledged that around 400 young men from Nepal had been recruited by Russia, with more likely enlisting without official knowledge.

A senior Ukrainian official reported an increase in the number of foreign fighters among captured prisoners, particularly Africans and Nepalis. Some of Ukraine’s allies are considering sharing intelligence with the affected countries.

The Group of Seven nations, preparing for a leaders’ summit in Italy, are trying to persuade countries from the Global South to support Ukraine. However, many of these nations have remained neutral, targeted by Moscow’s disinformation campaigns.

Reuters previously reported that the Wagner group had recruited several African citizens, including convicts from Russian prisons, to fight in Ukraine. This effort included men from Tanzania, Zambia, and the Ivory Coast.

According to Yevgeny Primakov, head of Rossotrudnichestvo, there are currently 35,000-37,000 African students in Russia.

He said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that about 6,500 African students are enrolled in Russian educational institutions for free annually.