Reuters published on 22 June 2023 a story titled "The Africans Fighting on Russia's Front Line in Ukraine" by Giulia Paravicini, Filipp Lebedev, and Felix Light.
This is the story about three young Africans--two students from Tanzania and Zambia and a taxi driver from Cote d'Ivoire--who ended up being recruited from prison by the Wagner Group and sent to the front lines in Ukraine. The two students from Tanzania and Zambia died in battle; the taxi driver from Cote d'Ivoire survived.
While in Russia, all three became involved in drugs, were convicted, and sent to jail where they were recruited by the Wagner Group to fight in Ukraine. Their story is one of soaring ambitions and broken dreams. Only the young man from Cote d'Ivoire survived. After completing his service with the Wagner Group, Russia expunged his drug conviction and he reportedly is undergoing rehabilitation.
