Cameroon 'military contractors' killed in Russia-Ukraine war - BBC confirms leaked message

## Summary
Cameroon 'military contractors' killed in Russia-Ukraine war - BBC confirms leaked message 59 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Paul Njie , BBC Africa and Hafsa Khalil EPA According to Ukrainian intelligence, individuals from 36 African nations have been reruited to fight for Russia Sixteen Cameroonians have been killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine, the BBC has confirmed after a foreign ministry source verified that a recently leaked diplomatic note circulating on social media about the deaths was authentic. Lured by lucrative job offers and sent to fight for Russia - Kenyans want their sons back 'My skin was peeling' - the African women tricked into making Russian drones Cameroon still has not acknowledged the deaths in an official statement. More on people fighting for Russia in Ukraine from the BBC 'I'm Kenyan, don't shoot' - the athlete who says he was duped into the Russian army Ex-president's daughter resigns over allegations she duped South Africans to fight for Russia Family seeks answers as Kenyan fighting for Russia killed in Ukraine Getty Images/BBC Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica , on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Focus on Africa This Is Africa War in Ukraine Russia Cameroon Africa

## Article Content
Cameroon 'military contractors' killed in Russia-Ukraine war - BBC confirms leaked message
59 minutes ago
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Paul Njie
,
BBC Africa
and
Hafsa Khalil
EPA
According to Ukrainian intelligence, individuals from 36 African nations have been reruited to fight for Russia
Sixteen Cameroonians have been killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine, the BBC has confirmed after a foreign ministry source verified that a recently leaked diplomatic note circulating on social media about the deaths was authentic.
The government has faced criticism over its prolonged silence on the issue - and this marks the first recognition of the involvement of its nationals in the conflict.
A recent report by All Eyes on Wagner, a group that investigates mercenary activities worldwide, said 94 Cameroonians had died in the war between 2023 and 2025.
The leaked note - from the Cameroon's foreign ministry to the Russian embassy - describes the 16 who had died as "military contractors".
Attempts to contact the Russian embassy about the note, which was dated 5 March, were unsuccessful.
Ukrainian intelligence estimates that more than 1,700 individuals from 36 African nations have been recruited to fight for Russia.
Lured by lucrative job offers and sent to fight for Russia - Kenyans want their sons back
'My skin was peeling' - the African women tricked into making Russian drones
Cameroon still has not acknowledged the deaths in an official statement.
However, on Monday a statement from the foreign ministry was sent to the statement broadcaster CRTV, listing the names of 16 Cameroonians it said were resident in Russia.
Aired on Monday evening, it asked the relatives of those named to get in touch about an urgent matter, giving no further information.
While Cameroon refrains from publicly commenting on its nationals participating in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Reuters news agency reports that it saw an internal memo from March 2025 in which the defence minister expressed concern over soldiers leaving the country to fight in Ukraine, and asked officers to monitor their units.
Several African nations have sought to address the worrying number of their nationals being lured to fight for Russia.
Ghana is amongst those which has urged Russia to stop recruiting combatants. The West African nation
says at least 55 Ghanaians have been killed fighting in the war
.
In February, Kenya's foreign minister told the BBC that
more than 600 recruitment agencies suspected of duping Kenyans
with promises of jobs abroad had been closed.
Sixteen Kenyans are said to be missing in Russia
, while 47 others have returned home from the front in Ukraine, officials have said.
Zimbabwe say 15 nationals have been killed
after being recruited, and more than 60 people are still trapped on the front lines.
Earlier this year,
South Africa repatriated 17 citizens
who said they had been trapped in Ukraine's Donbas region after being deceived into fighting for Russia.
More on people fighting for Russia in Ukraine from the BBC
'I'm Kenyan, don't shoot' - the athlete who says he was duped into the Russian army
Ex-president's daughter resigns over allegations she duped South Africans to fight for Russia
Family seeks answers as Kenyan fighting for Russia killed in Ukraine
Getty Images/BBC
Go to
BBCAfrica.com
for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter
@BBCAfrica
, on Facebook at
BBC Africa
or on Instagram at
bbcafrica
BBC Africa podcasts
Focus on Africa
This Is Africa
War in Ukraine
Russia
Cameroon
Africa

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
- The government has faced criticism over its prolonged silence on the issue - and this marks the first recognition of the involvement of its nationals in the conflict.
- While Cameroon refrains from publicly commenting on its nationals participating in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Reuters news agency reports that it saw an internal memo from March 2025 in which the defence minister expressed concern over soldiers leaving the country to fight in Ukraine, and asked officers to monitor their units.

### Implications
N/A

### Expert Commentary
This article covers russia, ukraine, bbc topics. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 578.