According to Bloomberg, the aggressor country Russia has begun using the gaming app Discord to recruit foreigners for the war against Ukraine. Thus, the Republic of South Africa has come under the spotlight, as its citizens have managed not only to fight, but also to die.
Points of attention
- Investigations have resulted in arrests in South Africa, with individuals facing charges of recruitment for a foreign state, highlighting the serious legal repercussions of such activities.
- The aggressive recruitment tactics by Russia highlight the evolving landscape of modern warfare and the utilization of technology platforms like Discord for sinister purposes.
Russia recruits South Africans through Discord
As journalists managed to find out, South African citizens aged about 20 left South Africa and went to the Ukrainian front.
They were recruited while chatting in a gaming app by an anonymous person with the nickname @Dash.
As part of the investigation, it became known that the young men were offered to sign a one-year contract in the Russian army near St. Petersburg.
After basic training, one of the soldiers died on the front line in Luhansk Oblast in October 2024, and the whereabouts of the other are currently unknown.
Such a rapid development of events provoked a loud scandal in South Africa, as war for or support for a foreign state has been recognized as illegal in this country for the past few decades.
A woman from state radio and four men were arrested in late November on charges of recruitment, and they have been charged, with the next hearing scheduled for February 10.
In addition, it is emphasized that the aggressor country Russia is also actively recruiting citizens of Kenya, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso.
