Deceived and deployed: How young Cameroonians end up fighting in Russia's war in Ukraine

Cameroon has emerged as one of the leading sources of African recruits for the Russian military , with young men lured by false promises of jobs and fast-tracked Russian citizenship, only to find themselves on the front lines of the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials say that nearly 3,000 citizens from various African countries are known to have fought — or were still fighting — for Russia as of May this year; Cameroon, Ghana, Egypt, Kenya and Uganda were identified as major source countries.

In April, the Cameroonian government confirmed that Russia had reported the deaths of 16 Cameroonian nationals, seven of whom died in military action in Ukraine.

The actual death toll is likely higher, according to DW correspondent Dorcas Ekupe, reporting from Bamenda in northwestern Cameroon.

"When you look at other publications and see what is happening — even seeing families who are grieving their loved ones — the number is really much higher than what the government had earlier said," Ekupe told DW's AfricaLink program.

She described two forces causing this worrying phenomenon: economic desperation and deliberate deception.

Many recruits, she said, travel to Russia believing they have secured jobs in construction or as security guards, or that they are participating in study programs.

"Once in Russia, they then end up on the battlefield," Ekupe said.