Several African countries have reported in recent months that their citizens were deceitfully lured to fight in the ranks of the Russian military, and many of them died on the battlefield.
“Recent reports show that the number of Botswanan citizens being misled about such agreements is growing at an alarming rate,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
Upon arrival, “they are forced to participate in active combat operations,” the ministry said.
“The ministry continues to receive heart-wrenching calls from Botswanan citizens already on the front lines, who describe the dangerous conditions they face,” the statement said.
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The statement does not specify how many Botswanan citizens are in Russia. In December, the government announced that at least two young people from Botswana may have been recruited.
In mid-February, the group “All Eyes on Wagner” published more than 1,400 African names whom Moscow allegedly recruited to fight in Ukraine from January 2023 to September 2025, adding that more than 300 of them have died.
The largest groups were from Egypt, Cameroon, and Ghana, the group said.
Several other Southern African countries have also reported the recruitment of their citizens.
