Russia are reportedly forcing African soldiers to blow themselves up against Ukrainian defensive positions.
Footage that has been shared online shows African mercenaries being held at gunpoint and forced to wear land mines.
They are then said to be ordered into certain death missions, reports
Bild journalist, Julian Roepcke, shared a video of a man called Francis who seemingly has a mine strapped to his chest as he is prodded with an assault rifle.
Francis puts his hands into the air before being forced into an underground position.
According to Roepcke, the task of these mercenaries is to ‘run into the enemy position with a TM-62 mine strapped to their body and blow themselves up there to open the bunker’.
It has been reported that in December, Russia recruited 150 foreign nationals from 25 different countries to fight with them in the war against Ukraine.
The biggest motivation for foreign recruits is financial, as well as simplified access to citizenship and amnesty for criminals.
However Moscow have been accused of exploiting economic instability in poorer countries to get recruits, as well as using propaganda to trick potential recruits into signing up without fully realising what they are signing up to.
Russia also have plans to dramatically increase scholarships for African students this coming academic year, however many are questioning if this is really about education.
