A 22-year-old man from Equatorial Guinea, Daniel Angel Masie Nchama, has warned young Africans against falling for recruitment schemes offering attractive jobs and military training in Russia after he was allegedly deceived into fighting for Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.
Nchama, a former IT student, said he travelled to Russia in December 2025 after a Cameroonian recruiter known as “Fabrice” promised him military training and a job as a bodyguard. However, on arrival, he and other recruits were allegedly pressured into signing documents written in Russian, a language they did not understand. He said their passports were subsequently confiscated.
According to Nchama, the recruits were given only about two weeks of basic training, rather than the eight months they had reportedly been promised, before being transferred to Ukraine. They later underwent another 45 days of intensive training before being sent towards the front line.
He said he realised the seriousness of the situation when a missile struck their vehicle and killed two of his colleagues. Nchama claimed that he was initially assigned to a battalion of 424 soldiers in Donetsk, all of whom were killed within two weeks, leaving him as the alleged sole survivor. He was later assigned to another battalion involved in operations around Volnovakha.
Nchama described the conditions as extremely harsh, citing freezing temperatures, hunger and constant attacks. He said there was one period when he and other recruits went nine days without food, forcing them to kill and eat a deer. He also alleged that recruits were threatened with death if they refused orders.
His ordeal eventually attracted widespread attention in Equatorial Guinea after he contacted his family for help. The country’s government subsequently announced that it would take diplomatic steps to secure his release. Nchama eventually escaped after deceiving his superiors about visiting a friend, before receiving assistance from the Equatorial Guinean ambassador.
After returning home, Nchama said Russian military authorities had offered him a permanent position, a house, a car and Russian citizenship. He rejected the offer and returned to Equatorial Guinea.
His experience comes amid growing concerns over the recruitment of Africans into Russian forces. Ukraine estimates that nearly 1,800 Africans have been enlisted, while an investigative project, All Eyes on Wagner, published the names of 1,417 Africans it said Russia recruited between January 2023 and September 2025, with more than 300 reportedly killed.
Nchama’s father has since urged young people seeking opportunities abroad to be extremely cautious about vague recruitment offers. He warned that promises of jobs and a better life can conceal dangerous arrangements, urging families to thoroughly verify such opportunities before allowing their relatives to travel.
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