Zimbabwe has confirmed the deaths of 15 of its citizens who were recruited into the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as authorities issue warnings about widespread fraudulent schemes luring individuals from several African nations into the four-year-old war.

Information Minister Zhemu Soda announced in Harare that the government is intensifying diplomatic efforts to repatriate 66 other Zimbabweans who are still alive. He revealed that victims from Zimbabwe were enticed by “fraudulent” employment agencies offering “deceptive and lucrative job offers,” primarily using “social media platforms as their primary hunting ground.”

Soda detailed the “pattern” of these schemes: victims are promised attractive salaries and safe working conditions, only to have their travel documents confiscated and be “coerced into active combat.” He added, “They receive little to no training and are placed in life-threatening situations. When they are injured, killed or captured, the recruiters vanish, leaving families in Zimbabwe with no information, no support and no one to hold accountable. In many cases, the promised remuneration is never paid.”

Beyond Zimbabwe, other African countries, including South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria, have reported similar instances of their nationals being tricked into traveling to Russia under false pretenses of work, only to find themselves on the front lines.

The southern African nation, which maintains close ties with Russia, is now working to ensure the safe return of survivors and to repatriate the remains of those who perished, according to the minister.

Zimbabwe’s disclosure follows similar reports across Africa, where governments state their citizens have been drawn into the conflict through misleading recruitment drives. A January report by the think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates the war has claimed nearly 2 million lives.

In South Africa, police interrogated 11 men who returned home in February after allegedly being recruited to Russia under the guise of security training. Authorities later confirmed that two South Africans were killed in the conflict, with several others injured or stranded.

An intelligence report from Kenya indicated that as many as 1,000 Kenyans were recruited with job promises before being deployed to the Ukrainian front. The report noted dozens were injured, missing, or still fighting, and at least one Kenyan had died.

Ukrainian officials have estimated that over 1,700 Africans may have been recruited to fight for Russia, with cases involving citizens from Nigeria and other nations also documented. Investigations by The Associated Press in 2024 revealed that recruitment networks have targeted workers in Africa and Asia via social media advertisements and private agencies, offering work-study programs or civilian jobs that ultimately led to military contracts. Some recruits reported their passports were seized and they were compelled to fight with minimal training.