Botswana says 'alarming rise' in citizens lured to Russia's war

An "alarming" number of Botswana nationals are being forced into combat in Russia's war against Ukraine after falling for deceptive recruitment schemes, the government said Saturday.

Several African countries have in recent months reported that their citizens have been duped into fighting for the Russian army with many dying on the battlefield.

"Recent reports indicate that the number of Batswana being misled into such arrangements is rising at an alarming rate," the international relations ministry said.

Once they arrive, "they are being forced into active combat," it said. "The ministry continues to receive heartbreaking calls from Batswana already on the frontline, describing the perilous conditions they face."

The statement did not say how many Botswana nationals were in Russia. In December, the government said at least two Batswana youths may have been recruited. 

In mid-February, the All Eyes on Wagner collective published the names of more than 1,400 Africans it said Moscow had recruited between January 2023 and September 2025 to fight in Ukraine, adding that more than 300 had died.

The biggest contingents were from Egypt, Cameroon and Ghana, it said. Several countries in southern Africa have also reported the recruitment of their nationals.

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