Putin's global mercenary recruitment: Senegalese soldier captured
Vladimir Putin is recruiting mercenaries from around the world to continue the invasion of Ukraine. Soldiers from the 49th Separate Assault Battalion have just apprehended a soldier from Senegal. A recording has surfaced on social media.
Soldiers from the 49th Separate Assault Battalion reported capturing a mercenary from Senegal in the Toretsk area of the Donetsk region. The military published a video of the soldier who, despite coming from a distant country, chose to fight on Russia's side.
In the video, it is noted that the African cried during the capture. In the recorded conversation, the mercenary for Putin mentioned he studied in Russia for two years. At one point, he met someone who was fighting on the front for money. It seems this person enticed him with rubles to join the Russian forces. Russian credit cards were found on the African mercenary. He confessed to the Ukrainians that he wanted to earn money and then move on to Europe, specifically to Germany.
The person who recruited the Senegalese told him it wouldn't be difficult. "If you are in Ukraine, you can get to Europe," the mercenary quoted him. Ultimately, the African was captured and is now in Ukrainian custody.
War in Ukraine. Russia seeks mercenaries worldwide
The news that Vladimir Putin is seeking mercenaries worldwide isn't new. Ukrainians recently captured two Chinese nationals. It is widely known that soldiers from North Korea have effectively joined the war on Russia’s side.
Recruitment from Africa also isn't new. As early as May 2024, the portal defence24.ca analyzed that Russia was enlisting Africans working, living, or serving sentences in Russia. But that's not all - the Kremlin had already started looking for volunteers in Central African countries, where Moscow has mercenaries and influence. Africans are being offered pay in exchange for fighting in Ukraine on behalf of the aggressor. "A special unit overseeing recruitment in Africa was said to have been formed in the Russian Ministry of Defence," reported defence24.ca.
Why is this happening? Firstly, Russians employ a tactic on the front that involves achieving numerical superiority over Ukrainian units. There is much talk about the so-called "meat assaults," which result in huge losses for Russian units. The number of mercenaries needs to be large, and Africa is a continent with a significant population. Russia takes advantage of its influence in Africa, offering weapons and instructors in exchange for mercenaries. African countries also don't distance themselves from the Kremlin as much as Western and Central European countries do.
Secondly, Putin does not want to draft native Russians from large cities, as this could create the impression that things on the front aren’t going in the Kremlin dictator's favour. The average resident of Moscow might worry if sent to Ukraine.
