A growing network of recruiters operating in Zimbabwe and across southern Africa is drawing young men into Russia’s war in Ukraine through promises of civilian jobs and financial security, only for ‘many’ to find themselves on an active, deadly frontline war zone after minimal training. Investigations by CITE, conducted as part of broader research into the ‘deceptive’ recruitment of African nationals into foreign conflicts, reveal a system that is increasingly organised, locally rooted and expanding. First, civilians with no military background are typically not interviewed, instead, they are added to WhatsApp groups and issued with invitation letters from Russia under the false pretext of visiting to experience Russian culture, often receiving a 30-day visa.
Instead, Zimbabwean civilians, here in the country and others based in South Africa, some who were unemployed men, are recruited and fast-tracked into frontline roles. “Some of those who have been recruited were mostly Uber drivers recruited in South Africa with no army experience and are trained for seven days then deployed,” said a source who is now in Donbas, fighting for Russia. Donbas is the main centre of conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Once deployed, the situation becomes difficult for the recruits to escape. “When they reach the front line, they take their passport and only promise to give it back after a year,” he said. The recruits are made to sign one-year contracts in Russian.
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“The contract is one year. So you come back after one year if you don’t want to renew. You only leave after your contract has expired.” Second, then those with military backgrounds, however, undergo a more formal process that includes interviews and medical examinations. The process often begins with posters advertising an “official state programme” inviting men aged 18 to 55 to participate in the Russian armed forces with “strong financial and social support”.
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