- Category
- Latest news
Russia Expands Economic Ties With Kenya as Cover for Recruiting Africans to Fight in Ukraine
- Authors
![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russia is deepening its economic cooperation with Kenya in what Ukrainian officials describe as an effort to expand Moscow’s political foothold in East Africa—and to use those ties as cover for recruiting African nationals to fight against Ukraine, according to a statement from Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) on November 11.
The CCD reported that Moscow has begun aligning its trade and infrastructure initiatives with Kenya’s national development programs, discussing new commercial deals, logistics corridors, and investment projects that could give Russian companies access to East African ports and regional markets.
Dear Kenyans, please don’t go to fight in Russia or Ukraine.
— Sholla Ard 🇰🇪 (@sholard_mancity) October 13, 2025
I say this with a very heavy heart.
While I was silent and away, I spoke to people who are in Russia now and in Ukraine. I even saw videos. What I’ve seen and heard is heartbreaking. Kenyans are being lured with… pic.twitter.com/V7T6l4N03U
Analysts cited by the CCD said the Kremlin’s growing economic footprint in the region is not simply commercial but part of a broader geopolitical strategy to build dependency on Russian resources and gain leverage over key logistics hubs in Africa.
“The Kremlin seeks to mobilize the economic, informational, and human resources of African nations to advance its own aggressive goals,” the Center said. “Moscow uses trade and so-called humanitarian contacts as a cover for recruiting citizens of the Global South to fight in its war against Ukraine.”
-abb46610c46358dc4f0da0cd510b3189.png)
The statement follows recent diplomatic talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Kenyan President William Ruto, during which the two leaders discussed Russia’s recruitment of Kenyan nationals for combat in Ukraine.
Ukrainian intelligence has previously warned that Russia and private military contractors have been targeting African youth with promises of employment, education, or financial reward, only to redirect them into military roles.
The Center added that Russia’s increased economic activity—from infrastructure cooperation to food export deals—allows it to mask military recruitment efforts and information operations under the guise of humanitarian or development aid. Such hybrid influence campaigns, Kyiv warned, threaten to destabilize African partners while feeding Moscow’s war machine.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reported that at least 1,436 citizens from 36 African countries are fighting in the ranks of Russia’s invasion army in Ukraine.
