Russia is stepping up efforts to recruit African nationals to fight in its war against Ukraine as it faces a shortage of soldiers.

Recruitment from Burundi and Zimbabwe has risen sharply in 2026, according to UNIAN.

Russia recruited 699 people from Burundi this year, compared with 30 throughout 2025. The number of recruits from Zimbabwe increased to 530 from 65 over the same period.

Recruitment activity has also increased in Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Some African governments have already expressed concern over Russia’s recruitment methods. People are lured to Russia with false promises of civilian employment and may subsequently find themselves sent to fight in Ukraine.

Ukrainian intelligence has identified a total of 45,959 foreign nationals from 151 countries who signed contracts with the Russian military. Of these, 5,451 are citizens of African countries.