---
title: "\"Help us return\": African prisoners of war record an appeal to participants of the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow"
description: "Prisoners of war who are citizens of African countries have recorded an appeal to participants of the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, urging them to influence the Kremlin to secure their return home."
date: 2026-10-27T18:18:47.063Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/african-pows-appeal-russia-africa-summit
tags: [africa, prisoners-of-war, russia-ukraine-war, russia-africa-summit, mercenaries]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# "Help us return": African prisoners of war record an appeal to participants of the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow

![African serviceman in Russian military uniform in a wooded area](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/27/african-pow-appeal-russia-africa-summit-moscow/african-pow-appeal-russia-africa-summit-moscow-1.webp)

## Key Points

- African prisoners of war recorded a video appeal to participants of the Russia-Africa summit (October 28–29, Moscow), urging influence on the Kremlin for their return.
- According to the Coordination Headquarters, citizens of 18 African states are in captivity, and Russia has not exchanged a single African POW over the entire period.
- Bloomberg previously reported ongoing mercenary recruitment in poor African countries; several African nations have asked Ukraine to return their citizens.

Ahead of the Russia-Africa summit taking place on October 28–29 in Moscow, prisoners of war who are citizens of African states detained since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine have recorded a video appeal to the meeting participants. According to RBC-Ukraine, the appeal was transmitted through the "I Want to Live" project. In the message, the captives urge representatives of African countries to use their political weight to influence the Russian authorities and achieve the return of their citizens to their homeland.

### The summit as a point of pressure

For the detained Africans, the upcoming summit in Moscow is seen as a rare opportunity to publicly raise the issue of their release before an audience that includes heads and representatives of African states. In the recorded appeal, the prisoners of war address their governments, asking not to leave them unattended at a time when the topic of African-Russian relations is at the center of the agenda. The wording "help us return" reflects the essence of the request: it is not about political demands, but about a personal desire to return home.

### The issue of exchange and the position of the Coordination Headquarters

According to the Coordination Headquarters, Russia is actively recruiting citizens of African countries to participate in hostilities against Ukraine, but after such individuals are captured, the Russian side, it says, is in no hurry to include them in exchange lists. The Headquarters provides data showing that during the full-scale invasion, representatives of 59 countries have fallen into Ukrainian captivity, including citizens of 18 African states. At the same time, as the Coordination Headquarters notes, over the entire period the Russian side has not taken back a single African prisoner of war in exchanges.

### The context of recruitment and appeals from African countries

Earlier, Bloomberg reported that Russia continues to recruit mercenaries in Africa for the war against Ukraine, appealing predominantly to poor countries on the continent. It is separately noted that several African states have already appealed to Ukraine with a request to return their citizens who fought on the side of the occupiers and ended up in captivity. Thus, the issue of returning detained Africans to their homeland is raised not only by the prisoners of war themselves, but also at the intergovernmental level.

### Call for safety

The Coordination Headquarters also reminded foreigners that participating in hostilities on the side of the Russian armed forces poses a direct threat to their life and health. This reminder accompanies a public campaign aimed at informing citizens of African countries about the risks associated with recruitment and at drawing the attention of their governments to the fate of compatriots already detained.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- ["Помогите вернуться": военнопленные из Африки обратились к участникам саммита в Москве](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/dopomozhit-povernutisya-viyskovopoloneni-1793124552.html) - Primary source: fact of the video appeal, summit dates, Coordination Headquarters data (59 countries, 18 African states, absence of African POW exchanges), mention of Bloomberg and appeals from African countries.

## FAQ

### Who did the African prisoners of war address?

Participants of the Russia-Africa summit, which will be held on October 28–29 in Moscow. The appeal was recorded in video format and transmitted via the "I Want to Live" project.

### How many citizens of African states are in captivity, according to the Coordination Headquarters?

According to the Coordination Headquarters, citizens of 18 African states are in captivity; in total, representatives of 59 countries are in Ukrainian captivity.

### Has Russia exchanged African prisoners of war?

According to the Coordination Headquarters, over the entire period, the Russian side has not taken back a single African prisoner of war in exchanges.