Russia actively recruiting mercenaries in Global South, disguising it as "cooperation" - CCD

The Kremlin is deploying global mercenary recruitment in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, disguising it as "cooperation" with governments and "security structures." The goal of the russians is not only to replenish human resources for the war against Ukraine, but also to create parallel paramilitary channels for hybrid operations - from intelligence and sabotage to political destabilization in the regions of the traditional US presence.

This is reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD).

The Center for Countering Disinformation emphasized that the involvement of citizens of countries linked to Washington economically or politically undermines security mechanisms and trust in allied formats.

"Russia is building recruitment chains into criminal ecosystems, particularly in Latin America, which simplifies financing and logistics, and near the US borders creates the risk of "hot spots" and forced forceful responses," the department added.

Earlier, the Center reported that a scandal broke out in Kenya after an athlete was deceived into signing a "contract" with the russian aggressor country's Defense Ministry and sent to the front. According to the Kenyan Foreign Ministry, there may be several victims. The mass recruitment of women from South Africa to Alabuga drone factories under the guise of employment was also revealed - in fact, for forced labor in the production of military UAVs used by russia to attack Ukrainian cities.

"Such practices are not 'anti-colonialism,' as Russia tries to present it, but a reproduction of colonial schemes of exploiting people as cheap labor and cannon fodder, which destabilizes entire regions and undermines international security," the Center emphasized.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported with reference to Forbes, moscow is increasingly relying on foreign mercenaries, and Cubans in particular, to compensate for losses at the front, reduce public discontent within the country, and maintain political stability. According to Ukrainian intelligence, up to 25,000 Cuban citizens may be involved in the fighting on the side of the russian federation, the largest foreign contingent in the war.