In a comment to the Nigerian newspaper Independent, Ambassador of Ukraine to Nigeria Ivan Kholostenko drew attention to Russia’s large-scale recruitment of African and other foreign nationals for its war against Ukraine.

The Ambassador stressed that potential victims are often lured with promises of employment, high salaries, education, or other opportunities. Upon arriving in Russia, their passports and phones may be confiscated, they may be isolated from the outside world, forced to sign documents they do not understand, and sent to the front line after receiving only minimal training.

“People from countries that fought against colonialism for generations are now being turned into instruments of a new imperial war,” Ivan Kholostenko stated.

The Ambassador called on African citizens to carefully verify offers involving travel to Russia, particularly those involving unusually high payments, unclear terms, expedited documentation, or intermediaries.

To counter such criminal schemes, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, established the information platform StopRussianRecruiters.org. The platform publishes investigations into recruitment schemes, information about foreign nationals killed after being recruited, as well as details about Russian recruiters and their local intermediaries.

Foreign nationals who have already found themselves serving in Russian armed formations may contact the Coordination Headquarters’ state project “I Want to Live” for assistance in voluntarily and safely surrendering. Ukraine guarantees the treatment of prisoners of war in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, regardless of their nationality.

Read the full article: Independent — Ukraine Warns Africans Against Russian Recruitment Schemes