Africans 'tricked' by Russia to fight Ukraine war

Russia has been accused of tricking African troops into joining its ranks before using them as 'meat for the meat grinder' in its war with Ukraine, reports the Daily Mail. Ukraine's ambassador to SA, Olexander Scherba, claimed Moscow did 'not value' the lives of Africans who had willingly or knowingly been lured to the front lines to bolster its dwindling numbers. In November, Kyiv said it had identified 1 426 fighters from 36 African countries serving in the Russian army, but warned the actual number could be higher. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha claimed they were being used as cannon fodder in the war which has seen an estimated 1m Russians killed, wounded or missing since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. And chilling videos have also emerged on social media appearing to show Russian troops using racist language, joking about African deaths and even forcing one recruit to blow himself up to destroy a Ukrainian bunker. Reflecting on the footage, Scherba told The Telegraph: 'There might be all kinds of charm offensives on the African continent, but once an African person comes to this war, they just become meat for the meat grinder.’

Scherba added that Russia 'looks at Africa through imperial eyes' and 'does not value Africans' regardless of whether they had joined its ranks willingly or not. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, many reports have emerged of African nationals fighting alongside Moscow's forces, with some accusing Russian military of using deceptive tactics to recruit them. Recently, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former SA President Jacob Zuma, resigned as an MP over allegations that she tricked 17 men into fighting for Russia against Ukraine, according to the Daily Mail. The men aged between 20 and 39 were lured into joining mercenary forces 'under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts' and had issued distress calls after becoming trapped in the Donbas area of Ukraine.