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Spotlight | Africa
From the battlefield to the workforce: Moscow's growing reliance on African labour

LogoSubscribers only By Noé Michalon
7 min read Lire en français
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) alongside his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the fringes of the BRICS summit in New Delhi on 11 September 2026.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) alongside his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the fringes of the BRICS summit in New Delhi on 11 September 2026. © Sputnik/Kristina Solovyova/Pool via Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) alongside his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the fringes of the BRICS summit in New Delhi on 11 September 2026.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) alongside his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the fringes of the BRICS summit in New Delhi on 11 September 2026. © Sputnik/Kristina Solovyova/Pool via Reuters

Having pledged to no longer employ fighters from around 40 countries, Russia has diversified its recruitment across the continent. New African countries are emerging as sources of soldiers, and Moscow is now relying on thousands of African workers for a variety of industries, including the military.

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