(KYIV, UKRAINE) – Shocking video footage circulating on social media appears to show Russian soldiers strapping an explosive device to an African recruit fighting on the Russian side in Ukraine, raising further allegations of grave abuse and war crimes by Moscow’s forces.
In the footage, a man identified only as Francis is seen with what appears to be a large landmine pressed against his chest by a Russian soldier wearing camouflage clothing and a flak jacket. The man looks visibly distressed as he is threatened and verbally abused. The soldier is heard using racist language and ordering Francis to move while prodding him with a firearm.
According to analysts and Ukrainian officials, the video suggests that Russian units are using African mercenaries in so called kamikaze roles, referring to them as “bottle openers” or “can openers”. The alleged purpose of this tactic is for the recruit to run towards Ukrainian defensive positions and detonate the explosive, clearing bunkers or fortified areas so that Russian troops can advance more easily.
The device shown in the video is believed to be a TM 62 anti tank mine, a powerful explosive capable of destroying armoured vehicles and fortified structures. Military experts say such a mine would almost certainly kill the person carrying it.
The footage shows the recruit being mocked and intimidated. When asked his name, he replies calmly, “Francis”, while the soldier continues to taunt him, asking what he is afraid of and warning that he will be forced to run forward. The language used in the video has drawn condemnation from human rights observers, who say it reflects deep racism and disregard for human life.
Ukrainian sources and independent researchers say this incident fits into a wider pattern in which Russian forces have relied on foreign recruits, including Africans, as expendable manpower. These recruits are often poorly trained and allegedly used in the most dangerous tasks on the battlefield.
There are also claims that Russian operations in parts of Africa have become a recruitment pipeline, drawing in young men with promises of pay or employment, only for them to be sent to the front lines of what critics describe as a brutal war of attrition in Ukraine.
This is not the first time Russian forces have been accused of extreme brutality. Ukrainian prosecutors have documented multiple alleged war crimes since the full scale invasion began, including executions, torture, forced deportations, and the use of civilians and prisoners in dangerous roles.
Last year, Ukrainian officials released evidence they said showed Russian troops displaying the severed head of a Ukrainian soldier on a military vehicle, an act condemned internationally as barbaric and unlawful. Ukraine’s Prosecutor General described such acts as having no place in the modern world.
Other investigations have alleged that tens of thousands of Ukrainians, including children, have been forcibly taken from occupied territories and sent to Russia. Ukrainian officials say many were placed in state controlled facilities or forced to work in poor regions under coercive conditions.
Sergei Orlov, a senior official from the occupied city of Mariupol, previously described Russian troops entering civilian shelters and ordering residents to leave within minutes, forcing families to abandon their homes under threat.
The issue of foreign fighters has also drawn attention in Africa, where families have spoken publicly about relatives who travelled to Russia and later died while fighting in Ukraine. Some parents say they were misled about the nature of the work their children would perform.
The latest allegations come as Ukraine condemned a recent Russian missile strike using a nuclear capable weapon as a war crime. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a strong international response, urging clear action from the United States and its allies.
He said the global reaction mattered because Russia paid close attention to signals from Washington. Ukraine maintains that continued pressure on Moscow is essential to deter further abuses and protect civilians and combatants from unlawful treatment.