cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/45323549
Russian military “armed” African mercenary with anti-tank mine and sent him to storm Ukrainian positions, serving as a “can opener” – while blowing himself up.
The video of the “kamikaze” training was published by the Exilenova+ Telegram channel.
The video shows a mercenary from Africa with a TM-62 anti-tank mine attached to his vest. The Russian soldier calls him a “can opener” and notes that he will now be sent to “run across the forest.”
In another video posted on Mastodon, a Russian soldier films foreign mercenaries singing and says:
“Oh, look how many disposables there are. They’re even singing. So cheerful. No problem - once they’re sent to the assault, they’ll sing a different tune.”
[Edit to include the link.]
Russia recruited young South African men to fight in its war against Ukraine using the online gaming platform Discord, interacting with a Discord user named “@Dash” while playing the military simulation game Arma 3.
A person familiar with the case said that two South African recruits later met in Cape Town and visited the Russian consulate before flying to Russia through the United Arab Emirates. Once in Russia, they signed one-year military service contracts near Saint Petersburg.
One of the men was sent to Ukraine as an assistant grenade launcher operator after several weeks of basic training. His family last heard from him on October 6. On December 17, a friend informed them that he had been killed. A medical document dated January 10, 2025, confirmed his death on October 23, 2024 … The whereabouts of the second man remain unknown.