The European Union (EU) Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, has alleged that Russia is recruiting Nigerians and other Africans to fight in its ongoing war against Ukraine — a claim the Russian government has denied.
Mignot made the allegation while speaking on The Morning Brief, a programme on Channels Television, on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, marking the fourth anniversary of the conflict.
According to Mignot, civil society reports suggest that the recruitment of Africans is becoming a growing trend. He claimed that women are allegedly recruited to work in military production facilities in Russia, while men are sent to the battlefield.