The count is in the hundreds: data on citizens of African countries who died in the war against Ukraine has appeared
Almost half a thousand citizens from Africa as part of the Russian army died in the war in Ukraine. However, this is a minimal number of losses, since the real number of foreigners who signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense is almost 3 thousand people.
The greatest losses were recorded among mercenaries from Cameroon, Ghana, Egypt and Kenya.
At least 485 citizens of African countries died as part of the Russian army on the territory of Ukraine. At the same time, this figure is minimal, since it is based only on the available personal data of foreign mercenaries, and the real losses may be much higher, including those who went missing.
In total, data is known about 2,984 citizens from 40 African countries who signed contracts with the Russian armed forces, and approximately every sixth of them has already died.
The Russian Federation’s attitude towards African mercenaries
Citizens of African countries in the Russian army, as a rule, occupy the lowest military positions. Due to the language barrier, they often do not speak Russian, which significantly reduces their effectiveness in combat conditions, so they are often involved in assault operations with a high level of casualties.
At the same time, the death of foreigners does not have a significant public resonance within the Russian Federation and does not create noticeable pressure on the Russian authorities or society.
Usually they are recorded as missing and no attempt is made to evacuate their bodies from the battlefield. Those who still manage to be taken out are either cremated or buried on Russian territory – as a rule, they are not particularly involved in searching for relatives and transferring the bodies to their homeland.
African families are looking for missing relatives in the Russian Federation
The project reported that they are systematically contacted by citizens of African countries whose relatives have disappeared on Russian territory.
In addition, in a number of African countries, families of the missing and deceased regularly organize actions and rallies, calling on the authorities to assist in determining the fate of their loved ones and their return.
“And it works. According to our data, due to public outcry and diplomatic pressure on Russia, the Russian Defense Ministry has stopped or significantly reduced recruitment in 14 countries on the African continent,” the report states.
Relatives of the deceased were urged to demand from the Russian authorities not only the search for the missing and the repatriation of the bodies, but also the payment of proper compensation, since the Russian Federation systematically misleads foreign citizens and does not fulfill its obligations to pay the families of deceased servicemen.
Well, the best way to avoid such consequences is not to go to Russia and not become a mercenary.