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A top Ukrainian official has accused Russia of luring people from Africa to fight on behalf of its military under false pretenses.

Getting into it: In a statement made by Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, he claimed that at least 1,436 African nationals from 36 countries are now fighting for Russia in Ukraine, with many allegedly deceived or coerced into signing military contracts. He said, “Foreign citizens in the Russian army have a sad fate. Most of them are immediately sent to the so-called ‘meat assaults,’ where they are quickly killed.” He described the recruitment contracts as “equivalent to … a death sentence” and warned that most foreign mercenaries captured by Ukrainian forces were seized during their very first combat mission.

According to Sybiha, Russia uses a combination of financial incentives, deceptive job offers, and outright coercion to bring African citizens into its ranks. He said, “Some are offered money, while others are duped and do not realize what they are signing up for or are forced to do so under duress.” In some reported cases, men were told they would be working in construction or support roles, only to be sent directly into front-line combat. Women have also allegedly been tricked through social media ads promising catering and hospitality jobs, only to end up working in Russian drone factories. According to Sybiha, “most mercenaries do not survive more than a month.”

This comes as the Ukrainian government has called on African nations to take immediate action to warn their populations. Notably, South Africa and Kenya have already begun investigations after some of their citizens were captured by Ukrainian forces.

As of now, there’s been no formal response from Russia, though Russian officials have accused Ukraine of similar tactics. Notably, Ukraine has a lot of foreign mercenaries from South America fighting on its behalf.