They were made to sign military service contracts in Russian without lawyers or translation provided, they said. Even though Russian law states that only foreigners who know the language can become soldiers, none of the Africans interviewed by CNN were Russian speakers. The translated clauses of the Russian military service contract obtained by CNN paint a far more binding and long-term picture of service than recruitment agents typically advertise. “So long as you’ve stepped into the Russian military, you escape or you die,” he said. “If they’re on the front lines, they’re our enemies and Ukraine defends itself,” Ukraine’s ambassador to Kenya, Yurii Tokar, told CNN.

Source: The Star February 04, 2026 20:09 UTC