Russia is actively deploying Ethiopian ex-servicemen to the frontlines of its war in Ukraine, according to intercepted military communications and eyewitness reports that reveal an expanding military-labor pipeline between Moscow and East Africa.
The Ukrainian Rubizh 4th Brigade intercepted Russian military communications confirming plans to deploy mercenaries from Ethiopia and Morocco to combat zones. The recruitment effort, which became publicly visible in April 2022, drew hundreds of Ethiopian ex-servicemen to the Russian embassy in Addis Ababa offering their services.
Each Ethiopian fighter receives approximately $2,000 monthly—a substantial sum in a country where per capita income hovers around $1,000 annually. The arrangement transforms economic desperation into a commodity for Russia's grinding war of attrition.
Both the Russian embassy in Addis Ababa and Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs have publicly refuted reports of recruitment activities. Yet the pattern is undeniable: Ethiopian fighters have appeared not only in Ukraine but also in Sudan's civil war, where the Rapid Support Force has accused Ethiopia's Tigray People's Liberation Front of deploying combatants.
"It remains unclear if the Ethiopian government is privately backing the deployment," according to News Addis, which first reported the communications intercept.
The recruitment reveals Russia's expanding search for manpower as its war enters its third year. Moscow has previously recruited fighters from , , and , offering cash incentives to men from countries where $2,000 a month can support an entire extended family.
