Harare – At least 15 Zimbabweans have died in the Russia – Ukraine war after they were recruited by Moscow, the Zimbabwe government has said.
The government said a total of 81 Zimbabweans were recruited through various means to fight for Russia in the war against Ukraine.
Of the 81 recruited, 66 are believed to be alive and fighting in the trenches.
”Regarding the deceased, the Government is actively engaged in the complex diplomatic and logistical efforts required to repatriate the remains of the 15 fallen Zimbabweans,” Soda Zhemu, Zimbabwe’s Information minister told a press conference.
Zhemu said unscrupulous people and networks are luring “unsuspecting Zimbabweans with false promises of lucrative employment opportunities — typically advertised as security work, logistics support, or private contracting roles in foreign countries.”
The announcement by the Zimbabwe government comes at a time when African war recruits fighting for Russia have been accusing the Kremlin of using unscrupulous means to fight for Russia.
Many of the hundreds of the fighters in the war have said they were recruited to work in Russia for different roles and not as soldiers but they were forced into fighting for Russia.
The African fighters have been calling for their several governments for help to be removed from the war front.
Africans from Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe and other African countries are fighting in Ukraine for Russia having promised salaries that range from at least US$2000 a month.