Botswana has joined the list of African countries whose citizens are being lured to fight for Russia. The country's Foreign Ministry announced on December 15 that it has opened an investigation.
The ministry confirmed that it received information about two young citizens — aged 19 and 20 — who became victims of a fraudulent recruitment scheme and are now fighting on the front lines. Botswana's authorities are trying to find them and bring them home through diplomatic channels.
«The number of Botswana citizens being deceived and drawn into such schemes is growing at an alarming rate».
Statement from Botswana's Foreign Ministry, cited by Bloomberg
The ministry also reports that it continues to receive desperate calls from citizens already on the front lines.
The mechanism: a job vacancy as a trap
Some recruits consciously sign contracts — under the influence of Russian propaganda and promises of relatively high salaries. Others are deceived into signing agreements in a language they don't understand, and after minimal training are sent to the front lines.
The advertisements offered attractive bonuses that ultimately were never paid out. According to INPACT's findings, 316 recruits died in combat — on average six months after arrival. 51 Africans died within the first month of service.
Russia also uses Africans in its military industry: verified data confirms the presence of hundreds of recruits — mostly young women — at drone manufacturing plants, including the Alabuga factory 1,000 km from Moscow. They were promised "professional training" in logistics and hospitality, but instead were forced to assemble combat drones.
Scale: 35 countries, over 1,400 people
According to a February report by Swiss research group INPACT, from January 2023 to September 2025, over 1,400 Africans from 35 countries signed contracts with the Russian army — more than 300 of them died within months of arriving at the front.
«The recruitment of Africans is not an isolated phenomenon, but the core of a deliberate and organized strategy», INPACT states. «These recruits are integrated into assault waves designed to break through Ukrainian defenses — as a tool of an attrition strategy».
African governments' responses vary: Ghana announced cooperation with the Russian Foreign Ministry to stop fraudulent recruitment, Kenya chose a harsher path — shutting down recruiting agencies. However, most affected countries seem to avoid breaking relations with Moscow.
Demographic vulnerability
Africa is experiencing a demographic shift: approximately 60% of the population is under 25 years old, and youth unemployment is rising. This very deficit of legal opportunities is what Russia is turning into a recruitment resource.
Botswana is a relatively stable country with one of the highest GDPs per capita in sub-Saharan Africa. If recruitment has reached it, this suggests the scheme is not targeting only the poorest.
How effectively diplomatic pressure will stop the flow of victims depends on whether African governments agree to specific measures: exchanging operational data on recruitment networks and prosecuting intermediaries within their own countries. So far, no country has released convictions in such cases.
