Russia allegedly sends thousands of migrants and foreign students to engage in the battle against Ukraine in exchange for visa renewals.

According to Bloomberg, the evaluation was conducted by certain European authorities who said that the Kremlin is exploiting international students as extra labor, a method initially used by the Wagner mercenary group.

According to officials acquainted with the situation, Russia has threatened not to extend visas for African students and young workers unless they agree to join the military.

Moscow has also been enlisting prisoners from Russian prisons, and some Africans in Russia on work visas have been imprisoned and forced to choose between deportation and combat, according to one European diplomat.

According to the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, some of those people were able to pay officials in order to remain in the country while avoiding military service.

According to sources quoting Ukrainian intelligence, Russia has launched a global recruitment drive to hire foreign mercenaries in at least 21 countries, including numerous African states.

Army recruitment operations provide generous signing incentives and salaries to those who will serve as contract soldiers.

Recruiters have also targeted migrants and students who had previously sought jobs in Russia, and in some cases, have enticed others with promises of lucrative work before forcing them to train and deploy to the front lines.