Zimbabwe has confirmed that 15 of its nationals were killed after being recruited to fight for Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine, marking the southern African nation’s first official acknowledgment of the extent of its citizens’ involvement in the conflict.
Information Minister Zhemu Soda said the Zimbabweans had been lured by shadowy agencies promising lucrative jobs abroad using “social media platforms as their primary hunting ground”.
“It is a sophisticated scheme of deception, exploitation, and human trafficking that has already resulted in the loss of Zimbabwean lives,” he said.
The Zimbabwe government says it is in talks with the Russian authorities to ensure the bodies are repatriated and those still alive return home safely.
It is the first time the country has acknowledged that dozens of its nationals are in military service to Russia.
The Zimbabwean case reflects a wider pattern seen across other African countries including Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, whose citizens have been enticed to join the war.
A Ukrainian intelligence assessment has estimated that more than 1,700 people from 36 countries in Africa have been recruited to fight for Russia.
Kenya estimates that 252 citizens have been illegally conscripted in Russia, and last week Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi visited Moscow to address the matter.
He said an agreement had been reached to stop deploying Kenyan nationals to fight in the war.
Last month Ghana said that 55 of its citizens had been killed in the conflict, with about 272 believed to have been lured to fight since the war started in 2022.
The same month, South Africa secured the return of 17 South Africans who were allegedly tricked into joining the war.
Soda warned Zimbabweans to exercise caution regarding overseas job offers, urging them to verify opportunities through official channels.
He warned that the recruiters often disappear once a recruit is injured, captured, or killed, leaving relatives with no financial support or information.
The minister described the operations as a form of human trafficking that exploits economic vulnerabilities in African countries.
Zimbabwe’s acknowledgment comes amid growing international concern over the use of foreign fighters in the Russia-Ukraine war.
