Equatorial Guinea youth warns of Russian recruitment trap after Ukraine ordeal

Daniel Angel Masie Nchama, a 22-year-old former IT student from Equatorial Guinea, has shared his harrowing experience of being tricked into fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Recruited by individuals promising bodyguard work and military training, Nchama found himself on the front lines after being coerced into signing documents in Russian that he did not understand.

"I realised we were at the front when a missile struck us," Nchama told AFP, recalling the fear, hunger, and freezing cold he endured. His journey began in December 2025 when a Cameroonian recruiter convinced him to go to Russia. Upon arrival, he and other recruits were pressured to sign papers without translation, with a Russian soldier's weapon placed on the table serving as a clear threat. Their passports were confiscated and never returned.

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I realised we were at the front when a missile struck us.

After just two weeks of "basic training," Nchama's group was sent to Ukraine for an additional 45 days of intensive training. He fought alongside soldiers from Colombia and various African nations, including Cameroonians, Nigerians, and Libyans. Ukraine estimates that nearly 1,800 Africans have been enlisted in Russian forces, with one investigative project identifying 1,417 African recruits between January 2023 and September 2025, over 300 of whom have died.

Nchama claims to be the sole survivor of his initial battalion of 424 soldiers in Donetsk, where all were killed within two weeks. He was then assigned to another battalion in Volnovakha, which he led. Of the 566 recruits in that unit, only three remained by the end of their mission to capture six Ukrainian villages. His escape was eventually facilitated by his country's diplomatic efforts, and he is now back home with his parents.

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It was a threat. So we had to sign.