15 Zimbabweans killed in Russia-Ukraine war after being duped into foreign military recruitment
At least 15 Zimbabweans have died in the Russia-Ukraine war after being duped into joining foreign military forces through suspected human trafficking syndicates, Information Minister Soda Zhemu has revealed. Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, Zhemu said employment agencies linked to criminal networks are luring Zimbabweans with promises of lucrative salaries before facilitating their recruitment […] The post 15 Zimbabweans killed in Russia-Ukraine war after being duped into foreign military recruitment appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
Black News 
At least 15 Zimbabweans have died in the Russia-Ukraine war after being duped into joining foreign military forces through suspected human trafficking syndicates, Information Minister Soda Zhemu has revealed.
Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, Zhemu said employment agencies linked to criminal networks are luring Zimbabweans with promises of lucrative salaries before facilitating their recruitment into foreign armies.
The recruitment process often begins on social media platforms, where “ghost” agencies advertise attractive remuneration packages designed to exploit economic vulnerabilities.
Once recruits leave the country, they are allegedly stripped of their passports and personal belongings, leaving them unable to escape before being deployed into active war zones.
Government says a total of 81 Zimbabweans were recruited into the Russian military, with 15 having died so far.
“To date, fifteen Zimbabwean nationals have lost their lives in foreign battlefields after being deceived into enlisting in foreign wars.
“This is not a matter of legitimate military service. It is a sophisticated scheme of deception, exploitation and human trafficking,” Zhemu said.
The government has since engaged Russian authorities to facilitate the return of the 66 Zimbabweans still alive, as well as the repatriation of those who died.
“The government is actively engaged in the diplomatic and logistical processes required to repatriate the remains of the fifteen fallen Zimbabweans. We are working through established international channels to ensure that these citizens are brought back home and laid to rest with dignity despite the tragic circumstances of their departure,” he said.
Zhemu added that authorities have intensified efforts to dismantle the criminal networks behind the illegal recruitment schemes.
“The security cluster has been instructed to intensify efforts to identify and dismantle the criminal networks behind these trafficking syndicates. Those who are trading with the lives of our citizens for profit will face the full wrath of the law. We will treat these acts as the grave crimes they are: human trafficking and the facilitation of foreign military service, which are illegal under Zimbabwean law,” he said.
He further warned that all employment agencies facilitating foreign job placements must be properly registered, vetted and licensed and are required to notify the Registrar of Private Employment Agencies for approval before any recruitment exercise.
The post 15 Zimbabweans killed in Russia-Ukraine war after being duped into foreign military recruitment appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
