Russia aggressively recruits Botswana citizens to fight against Ukraine
Authorities receive calls from people who were recruited into Russia's war against Ukraine (photo: Getty Images)
Ministry of International Relations of Botswana has warned of a sharp rise in the number of its citizens being deceived or coerced into fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reports.
The ministry released a statement on Saturday, urging citizens not to accept overseas job offers without first verifying their legitimacy. The warning comes after many people were reportedly lured abroad under false pretenses and then forced to take part in combat operations against Ukraine.
"The number of Batswana being misled into such arrangements is rising at an alarming rate. (The ministry – ed.) continues to receive heartbreaking calls from Batswana already on the front line, describing the perilous conditions they face," the statement said.
The media noted that in countries including Kenya and South Africa, individuals accused of recruiting Africans to fight in Russia Federation's war have previously been arrested and charged.
In February, a report by the nonprofit organization InPact, which runs the All Eyes On Wagner project, said that at least 316 Africans had been killed while fighting for Russia against Ukraine.
Kenya, for its part, has said that about 1,000 of its citizens were recruited to fight in the war.
Russia recruits foreigners for war against Ukraine
Notably, in November 2025, Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation said that since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia had recruited citizens from 128 countries to fight against Ukraine.
Earlier this February, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine reported that Russia had been actively recruiting citizens of African countries to take part in the war by disguising the effort as educational programs and civilian employment opportunities.
That same month, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that more than 1,700 foreign nationals were serving in the ranks of the Russian military in its war against Ukraine.
In addition, Sybiha said Russia continued to actively recruit Africans and that similar recruitment efforts had also become increasingly common in Latin America.
