Russia expands war recruitment in Africa, with enlistment in Burundi up 23-fold

Russia has dramatically increased its recruitment of Africans for its war against Ukraine, with a 23-fold surge in enlistments from Burundi, according to a presentation by Ukrainian intelligence obtained by Bloomberg. The Kremlin is increasingly targeting countries with lower incomes and weak democratic institutions for its war effort.

Following Kenya and South Africa's attempts to curb recruitment, Russia intensified its efforts in Burundi, Zimbabwe, and Sierra Leone. In the first nine months of 2026, 699 Burundians signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense, up from just 30 in all of 2025. Zimbabwe saw a similar spike, with the number of recruits jumping from 65 in 2025 to 530 in 2026.

In total, Russia signed up 1,229 fighters from Burundi and Zimbabwe over nine months, compared to 95 in 2025. Madagascar's military officials have also expanded cooperation with the Kremlin in recent months. Ukrainian intelligence believes the campaign aims to compensate for Russian army losses and personnel shortages. However, Russia has largely halted recruitment in countries that resisted its attempts, offering alternative employment instead.

African governments have repeatedly called for an end to the recruitment, citing instances of deception, with men often ending up on the front lines after being promised lucrative jobs and Russian citizenship. Authorities in Kenya have reported over 1,000 citizens being recruited, with 84 believed killed or missing. In Zimbabwe, authorities have begun prosecuting alleged recruiters, and detained two Russian citizens suspected of human trafficking.

Ukrainian authorities estimate that approximately 45,900 foreign nationals and residents of unrecognized territories have signed contracts with the Russian army, with 5,400 from 43 African countries, accounting for about 12% of all identified foreign contract soldiers.