They are young and jobless: the younger generation of Africans is repeatedly lured to Russia under the pretext of lucrative job offers. But in reality they should be fighting – for Russia against Ukraine.
We call him Calvin Masharia. The young man from Kenya was reluctant to reveal his real name to the public because the story was sensitive. We met Calvin at home. He feels safe here, he wants to talk here.
Calvin is an IT specialist, but is currently unemployed. He is like most young Kenyans. According to the Kenya Employers’ Association, nearly 70 percent of young people up to the age of 34 are unemployed. Calvin wants to work and earn money. He learned about the job offer in Russia through a friend.
“I was told it was about jobs like drivers or kitchen staff in military camps,” Calvin said. “The salary should be good. In fact very good. And there should be a one-year work contract.”
Job offer without employment contract
Calvin was offered the equivalent of 1,600 euros per month for this job. About four times his recent earnings in Kenya. Plus a special payment of almost 20,000 euros. Calvin took it. An agency in Kenya arranged the trip to Russia. But to get there, Calvin had to pay out of pocket first – the equivalent of 400 euros for flights and a tourist visa.
Calvin communicates with the agency via WhatsApp. “An employee told me to trust him,” he said. “Everything was regulated in the employment contract while I was in Russia. Everything was fine.”
Kenyan passports confiscated
Calvin is counting on him. A few days later he was on a plane. From Kenya we went via Dubai to Moscow. After the 12-hour flight, Calvin and the other Kenyans had to undergo extensive screening at Moscow airport: their photos, biometric data, mobile phones were checked, and their passports were confiscated.
Africans were driven out of the city in buses. After about 45 minutes of driving, they arrived at a military camp, Calvin recalled. There they met other young men, also from Kenya. “We learned from them that the jobs being offered are fake. They say anything you are told is a lie. Anyone who comes here will be sent to the front lines.”
There is no training in military camps
Calvin was shocked, he became afraid. He doesn’t want to fight for Russia against Ukraine. That’s why Calvin started making an escape plan. But a day in a military camp is typical: early rise, medical check-up, fitness training. There was no military training, the young Kenyan recalled.
The cell phones of most people in the military camp were confiscated. But Calvin hides his cell phone, admits he doesn’t have one and just runs away. This was his salvation as it allowed him to organize his escape. Calvin invites two Kenyan friends to believe him. While shopping at a small supermarket very close to the military camp, they took the opportunity to escape. Calvin orders a taxi, they go to Moscow and escape to the Kenyan embassy. There they receive replacement documents and can use them to fly back to Kenya.
“We felt so liberated. I almost cried when I saw my family again. We managed to escape. But I felt sorry for the children who were still there.”
African soldiers as mercenaries
It is vital for Russia to recruit new fighters from abroad to protect its own population, said Kenyan security expert Byron Adera. The reason is, war is also starting to be felt in the Russian army. According to estimates by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, 250,000 Russian soldiers have died in this war so far.
According to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, at least 1,400 people from 36 African countries are expected to fight as Russian soldiers. This includes former African soldiers who now work as mercenaries. Most of them were taken prisoner by Ukraine during their first combat missions.
Kenyan President William Ruto wrote on the online portal X that he had asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to allow the release of all Kenyans from Ukrainian custody. He also wants to raise awareness among young Kenyans that such operations are illegal and dangerous.
Human trafficking instead of job opportunities
Calvin knows this war exists. He didn’t know that Africans were fighting there for Russia against Ukraine. “This is more about human trafficking than job opportunities. I feel cheated,” he said.
That’s why Calvin now wants to warn other young African generations. They should not be trapped in fake jobs in Russia, working on the front lines, and possibly losing their lives there.
