Putin's recruits: African mercenaries join the fight in Ukraine

About £1,700 per month. That’s how much the Russian army reportedly pays volunteers recruited from Africa who will fight in Ukraine. This recruitment approach is a clear sign that Vladimir Putin is running out of prisoners ready to fight. Therefore, he turned to migrants, as this was the only way to avoid a large-scale mobilization and the domestic unrest that would likely follow in Russia.

Since its beginning on February 24, 2022, the war in Ukraine has been marked by plans for a large-scale mobilization in Russia. Vladimir Putin, however, has been trying to avoid this by any means necessary. The Kremlin leader is aware that such a move could undermine support not only for the conflict but also for himself.

As a result, from the very beginning, prisoners have been recruited into the army, who could shorten or eliminate their sentences in exchange for their service. This idea was particularly well-received by Prigozhin, who was killed after the infamous rebellion. Over time, the number of prisoners willing to fight began to dwindle, necessitating the search for forces elsewhere.

Here, high salaries and potential compensation paid by the state came to the rescue. This decision was well received, especially by poor families, and thus, many Yakuts and Buryats, among others, can be seen today on the Ukrainian front.

There has also been a solid push to recruit “cheaper” mercenaries from Africa. Men from countries like Burundi, Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda are enticed with high payments above £1,600 and equally high bonuses. For this purpose, the Russian Ministry of Defense has also established a special unit.

There have long been rumours about African mercenaries appearing in the Russian army. A significant amount of discussion has focused on the Alabuga complex in Tatarstan, where Nepali immigrants were allegedly working in a drone factory under the guise of studying at a local university. However, now they are increasingly finding their way to the front lines.

Their involvement in the war is crucial to Kremlin policy. It's no secret that the previous units of prisoners under Prigozhin suffered heavy casualties (one in three soldiers was killed), and the last mobilization sparked a wave of escapes in Russia. Consequently, the number of Russians ready to fight has been decreasing daily.