Russia’s Troop Conscription Deceit Shows It’s a Frenemy of Africa
Relatives of Kenyan nationals conscripted by the Russian army to fight in Ukraine during demonstration demanding government action to repatriate their kin, in Nairobi on Feb. 19, 2026.
Photographer: Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images
At the launch of a new “Department for Partnership with Africa” in Moscow in February 2025, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov extolled his country’s virtues with regards to the continent. “Our African friends have always found a reliable and understanding friend and partner in Russia,” he declared. “Russia selflessly supported Africans in their heroic struggle against colonial powers… and assisted in developing young states.”
Over the past four years Russia has ramped up influence operations on the continent through military cooperation, arms supplies and anti-Western narratives. It’s found favor among many governments (although less among their citizens) as these states have sought alternatives to whiplash US policies and general Western influence. It’s also duping thousands of Africans desperate for work — to die in its war on Ukraine.