Russia recruited gamers from South Africa to fight in the war against Ukraine by contacting them through the Discord app.
Bloomberg writes about this, citing sources and documents related to two men who went to fight for the Russian Federation.
The men, aged around 20, regularly played the shooter Arma 3. After chatting on Discord with a person under the nickname @Dash, they met in Cape Town and then visited the Russian consulate.
On July 29, 2024, they flew to Russia via the United Arab Emirates. Upon arrival, the Africans met with @Dash and signed one-year military contracts in early September. In addition to financial compensation, they were promised that they would be able to obtain Russian citizenship and receive education after serving in the army.
After several weeks of basic training, one of the men went to the front in Ukraine, where he served as an assistant grenade launcher. He last contacted his relatives on October 6, and on December 17, his friend informed them that he had been killed in action. The whereabouts of the other man are unknown.
A medical certificate dated January 10, 2025, received by the family, indicates that he died on October 23, 2024, in Verkhnyokamyanske, Luhansk Oblast.
South Africans for war against Ukraine
In November 2025, Bloomberg reported that the daughter of former President Jacob Zuma was involved in recruiting 18 men from Botswana and South Africa to serve in the Russian military. They were told they were going to a bodyguard training course. The accusations led to the woman resigning as an MP.
In late November, a South African state radio presenter was arrested along with four other men after police received a tip-off about a possible attempt to send them to the Russian army. They were later charged and released on bail. Their next court appearance is scheduled for February 10.
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