Thousands of young male migrants have been misled by Putin’s regime and dragged to the frontline to fight Ukraine. Migrants from Africa, Asia or America, desperate to find work in Europe, have accepted jobs in the Russian military, advertised as non-combattant jobs.

Russia has been losing approximately 1,000 troops each day, according to the Ukrainians, creating the need for new personnel. While the majority are still poor Russians lured by high salaries, there are increasing attempts to internationalise hiring.

A recent survey of more than 10,000 Russian troops captured by Ukraine found that 7% were foreign mercenaries, taken from 40 different countries. In total, Kyiv estimated late last year that Russia had recruited a total of 18,000 foreigners from 128 countries, and 3,300 had since been killed, The Telegraph reported.

For many, the appeal lies not only in promised wages of around £1,700 per month and incentives such as a Russian passport, but also in the perception that Russia is a welcoming destination. Decades of Cold War-era influence that framed Russia as an anti-imperialist ally of Africa have been amplified further in the age of social media.

One soldier spoke about the experience with researchers at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI).

He said: “I didn’t hesitate, I thought that given the salary and other benefits offered, I could finally help my family escape this poverty.”

The recruit from Cameroon in West Africa is one of the many foreign soldiers who were lied to by Moscow. He was told that he would be working with the military, but well away from the front lines, as a guard or a cook. Instead, he was sent to an extremely dangerous battlefield, where a new recruit’s life expectancy can average only around 72 hours.

The recruitment process often relies on deceptive and exploitative practices similar to those used by human trafficking networks or scam operations in South East Asia. In Africa, researchers found that Russia has worked through recruiters already involved in migrant labour trafficking, with hiring frequently carried out by fellow Africans who may have connections to Russia.

IFRI found that in countries where Russia had deployed Wagner mercenaries, such as Mali or the Central African Republic, Wagner itself acted as a conduit for recruitment. Elsewhere, recruitment was more informal, relying on existing travel agencies that already handled visas, flights and accommodation for migrant labour.

A BBC investigation earlier this month alleged that a Russian woman, Polina Alexandrovna Azarnykh, used the Telegram messaging app to issue nearly 500 formal invitations for foreigners to enter Russia for military-related work. Many of the recruits, often from the Middle East, were told they would not be assigned combat roles but were later sent to the front line.

Several African countries, including South Africa and Kenya, have warned their citizens about the risks of becoming entangled in recruitment scams that could result in deployment to the front line. At least four countries have also demanded the repatriation of their nationals from Russia. It remains unclear whether these exploitative recruitment practices, and growing awareness of them, will begin to damage Russia’s carefully cultivated image in Africa.