The Ministry of International Relations of Botswana has issued an official statement warning citizens of a critical threat related to recruitment for armed conflict. The country's authorities are recording a rapid increase in the number of residents being deceived or coerced into fighting on the side of Russia against Ukraine.
On Saturday, the ministry published an appeal calling on the population to remain vigilant. Officials strongly recommend not accepting offers of work abroad without thoroughly verifying their authenticity. According to the ministry, the recruitment scheme involves deceiving citizens into leaving the country and then forcing them to participate in combat operations.
"The number of Botswana citizens being misled and drawn into such schemes is growing at an alarming rate. We continue to receive heart-wrenching calls from our compatriots already on the front lines, describing the dangerous conditions they are facing," the statement reads.
The Scale of the Problem in Africa
The situation with the recruitment of Africans is not limited to Botswana alone. Bloomberg reports that arrests have already been made in Kenya and South Africa of individuals accused of recruiting citizens of the continent to participate in the Russian war. Kenyan authorities previously stated that around 1,000 of their citizens had been recruited for the war.
Statistics confirm the high cost of this recruitment. A report published in February by the non-profit organization Inpact, which runs the "All Eyes On Wagner" program, stated that at least 316 Africans had died in combat against Ukraine.
Global Recruitment Strategy
Ukrainian intelligence services and security experts are also tracking this trend. In February of this year, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported that Russia is actively recruiting citizens of African countries, masking its actions as educational programs and civilian employment.
In the same month, the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybyga, stated that more than 1,700 citizens are fighting in the ranks of the Russian army against Ukraine. Later, he noted that, in addition to Africa, cases of recruitment have increased in Latin America.
According to data from the Disinformation Counteraction Center, announced in November 2025, since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has recruited citizens from 128 countries around the world to participate in the conflict.
