Kenya repatriates 18 citizens recruited by Russia’s Ministry of Defense, shuts down hundreds of agencies luring workers to Russia

Kenyan authorities have secured the return of 18 citizens who were recruited inside Russia to take part in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Nairobi-based outlet The Standard reported. In total, at least 82 Kenyans have appealed to the country’s embassy in Moscow for help returning home.

The Kenyan newspaper Daily Nation reported that some of those who have been repatriated sustained serious injuries during the war in Ukraine. According to the report, the Kenyans traveled to Russia after being offered what they believed were civilian jobs. Most of those recruited into the Russian army had no prior military experience, Daily Nation said.

The Kenyan government has revoked the licenses of more than 600 fraudulent agencies that had been sending Kenyans to Russia and is also holding talks with Ukraine on the release of Kenyan prisoners of war. According to available data, more than 200 Kenyans may have been recruited into the Russian military.

The Insider has reported on the deceptive methods that are used to lure citizens of African countries into the Russian army, most notably in the article Lost in translation: How African migrants are tricked and threatened into Russian military service, as well as the video report “They took my passport and gave me a gun”: How Russia recruits Africans for its war against Ukraine.