Kenya tops Africa in Russia military recruitment, new report reveals
Relatives of Africans recruited to fight in the Russia–Ukraine war pray and protest outside Kenya’s Parliament for clarity on officials’ role in the recruitment, Nairobi, March 5, 2026.
At least 3,066 Africans from 40 countries have been recruited into Russia’s armed forces since October 2022, with 502 documented as killed in action by June 2026, in an operation that has drawn nationals from across the continent into the war in Ukraine.
An investigation by Journalists for Justice (JFJ) found that Kenya had the largest recorded contingent, with 873 cases, followed by Egypt with 407, Cameroon 383, Ghana 337, Nigeria 214 and Uganda with 108.
