They fought for Russia: Togo authorities learned that its citizens were captured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The authorities of the African country of Togo recently learned that its citizens fought on the side of Russia and were captured by Ukrainian forces, the country's Foreign Ministry reported.
According to the information gathered, most of these citizens, especially young students, left Togo under the pretext of allegedly receiving scholarships from structures claiming to be based in Russia.
In this regard, the Togolese Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on citizens, especially young people who want to continue their studies abroad, to "exercise maximum vigilance": to check the authenticity of scholarship offers before making any commitments, and to contact relevant departments, in particular the Ministry of Higher Education and Science, to obtain reliable and verified information before traveling abroad, especially to the Russian Federation.
The diplomatic service is actively cooperating with partners to clarify the situation and, where possible, provide "necessary assistance to the victims."
Togo is a country in West Africa with a population of 9.3 million. Citizens of this country traveled about 5,000 kilometers to fight against Ukraine.
- In recent years, the occupiers have been recruiting mercenaries from other countries in Africa and Asia. In 2024, the Ukrainian Center for National Resistance published a diagram of how the invaders recruit foreign students for the war against Ukraine.
- In the summer of the same year, a delegation from Sri Lanka held talks with the Russian Federation regarding its citizens who had joined the war on the side of the aggressor country.
- In October, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry appealed to mercenaries from Africa and the Middle East, whom Russia uses as "cannon fodder" in the war: they urged them to take advantage of the "I Want to Live" project and lay down their weapons to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
