24.2.2026
European Union ambassador to Nigeria Gautier Mignot, has accused Russia of recruiting Nigerians and other Africans to fight its four-year-old war against Ukraine.
Mignot said Tuesday during a chat on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief Tuesday, noted that various reports from civil society organisations confirmed the disturbing trend.
“There is another important phenomenon which is impacting Africa, which is recruitment of African men and women by Russia. Women to be sent and work in military plants in Russia and men to be sent as cannon fodder on the front. Of course they are being lured with job promises,” Mignot said.
The EU ambassador stated that Russia is recruiting from Africa because it is running out of soldiers, describing the practice as crude and harmful to individuals with no connection to the conflict.
“Russia is running out of soldiers, so they have been growingly doing that including with Nigerians, and it’s extremely crude sending these people who have absolutely nothing to do with this war to die on the front.
“Some of them have been captured by the Ukrainian army, and this is something I think African countries have started to react to. We have seen even the Nigerian government publish a communique on this phenomenon of recruitment into war — they did not mention Russia,” he added.
On perceptions that Russia is winning the war, Mignot dismissed the claim, calling it a false impression.
“There are other false perceptions about this war, the impression that Russia is winning the war little by little — no, it is not. There is a stalemate at the front. Actually in the last few weeks it is Ukraine which has reclaimed a few hundred square kilometres of territory,” he said.