The European Parliament has adopted a resolution condemning the actions of the Russian Federation related to human trafficking and gross violations of human rights during the recruitment of foreign citizens, particularly from African countries, to participate in the war against Ukraine. The document calls on European Union countries, member states, and the governments of the countries of origin of the recruited individuals to cooperate more closely in investigating such schemes, preventing them, and facilitating the return of the victims to their homeland. The resolution also includes a call for sanctions against individuals and organizations involved in recruiting foreigners for the Russian army.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Scale and Methods of Recruitment
The European Parliament notes that foreigners are lured to Russia with promises of legal employment, education, or high salaries. In reality, upon arrival, they are forced to sign contracts with the Russian military or work at defense enterprises. The deputies believe that this practice is part of a systematic strategy by Russia aimed at compensating for losses on the battlefield.
“Men and women from several African countries, in regions with high unemployment and social instability, are being recruited to work in Russia. But when they arrive, their passports are confiscated, and they are effectively forced to participate in Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine,” said Dutch Member of the European Parliament Marit Maij.
According to her, a significant portion of the recruits ends up in the most dangerous areas of the front, where personnel losses are particularly high. Some deputies directly labeled such actions as a form of human trafficking.
Global Scale of the Problem
European parliamentarians emphasized that Russia has been recruiting foreigners in 36 countries worldwide. Recently, an intelligence report was released in the Kenyan parliament about over a thousand Kenyans recruited to participate in the war on the side of Russia. Cases of citizens being drawn into the Russian army have also been recorded in Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Botswana. Protests demanding clarification on the fate of missing relatives took place in Kenya just a week ago.
Analysts paid special attention to the “Alabuga Start” program in Tatarstan, which became the subject of research by the American think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) in early 2026. Through this program, young women from Africa and Latin America are attracted to Russia with promises of free flights, accommodation, and jobs in the hospitality industry. However, according to international investigations, upon arrival, participants are involved in assembling Iranian kamikaze drones “Geran-2” (Shahed-136), which are used against Ukraine. Women report 12-hour shifts, low pay, dangerous conditions, and constant surveillance. In cases of attempts to leave the program, the administration confiscated passports.
FDD analysts emphasize that these actions exhibit all the signs of classic human trafficking: deception, exploitation of vulnerability, and creating conditions where the worker cannot leave their job. The European Parliament calls on the EU to assist third countries in combating this problem.
During the debates, a representative of the European Commission, speaking on behalf of the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, stressed that the use of foreign citizens as a “disposable resource” has become part of Russia’s tactics.
According to MEP Fransisco Assis, the governments of some African countries are trying to combat these networks, but investigations and punishments are still insufficient. He highlighted the lack of a coordinated international response and the near-total impunity of the organizers of recruitment schemes.
At a joint press conference at the end of February 2026, it was reported that over 1,780 citizens from African countries are fighting in the Russian army against Ukraine.