The ongoing war in Ukraine has claimed another victim far from the front lines: the peace of mind of families across Zimbabwe. In recent months, a disturbing number of young Zimbabwean men have been lured to Russia under false pretenses, only to find themselves fighting in a conflict they never signed up for. Their families, scattered across the country, are now desperately searching for answers, pleading for their safe return, or mourning their loss.
Rodwin Chitewere learned that her son Tanaka Muzirikazi had traveled to Russia only after a relative noticed a change in his WhatsApp status. Tanaka, who would have turned 23 this month, left his village in eastern Zimbabwe in April with his cousin Dylan Goodho. Chitewere, who lives 350 kilometres away in Beitbridge, was unaware of his departure until after he was already gone. Soon after, the family received a voice note from someone in Russia claiming Tanaka had been injured in a drone attack. “We need God’s grace to see if he recovers because it was bad,” the person said. In July, the family received the devastating news that Tanaka had died. “I just want him brought home. I need closure,” his mother told AFP. “I want to give my son a dignified burial. I am deeply pained.” Zimbabwe’s foreign ministry has forwarded the family’s request for repatriation to the country’s embassy in Russia.
The cousin, Dylan Goodho, also believed he was leaving Zimbabwe for a job opportunity. His father, an artisanal miner, thought the 23-year-old would work as a car import agent in Tanzania and borrowed money to cover police clearance certificates, medical examinations, and other costs. “It looked like a genuine opportunity,” Vharance Goodho said. Dylan only told his family after reaching Russia that he had become a soldier. He later sent $1,500 home and said he was sending back a vehicle. His family last heard from him in May. His mother, Fadzai Chikove, has urged him to return. “Dylan, if you ever hear this message, please come back home. You cannot be fighting a war that is not ours,” she said.
The recruitment of Zimbabweans into the Russian military has become a growing concern. In April, Zimbabwe announced that 15 of its nationals had died on “foreign battlefields,” with more than 60 others still on the front lines as of March. Authorities have also arrested five suspected agents on human trafficking charges, underscoring the extent of the problem. Despite these actions, recruitment efforts appear to be continuing.
The issue is not confined to Zimbabwe. In South Africa, the government reported in February that at least two citizens had died fighting in Russia, and 15 had returned home that month. One returnee described the harrowing experience of being thrust into combat with no prior military training. “All of a sudden you see and hear bombs, drones flying overhead,” he said. Another young man said he received only two sessions with a psychologist despite being promised trauma counselling. “We are left in the lurch, without any money, any means of support, just only the scars from the war,” he said.
In Botswana, a mother has spent nearly a year without knowing what happened to her 20-year-old son after he travelled to Russia with a friend in July last year. She believes the two men were misled by Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, under the pretext of attending a personal development course in Russia. Zuma-Sambudla resigned as a parliamentarian in December after police said they were investigating allegations that she had lured men to the Russian war. The mother has repeatedly sought help from the South African government. “I just want my child back home,” she said.
According to the All Eyes on Wagner collective, more than 1,400 Africans were recruited by Moscow between January 2023 and September 2025, with over 300 of those recruits reported dead. The collective has published the names of the recruits, shedding light on the scale of the recruitment drive.
For families across southern Africa, the pain is compounded by uncertainty and a sense of betrayal. Many believed their loved ones were pursuing legitimate job opportunities, only to discover they had been dragged into a foreign war. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, these families are left to grapple with loss, unanswered questions, and the hope that their relatives will one day come home.
