By Michael McManus

Footage has emerged of an African man with a landmine strapped to his chest.

Even in a regime as callous towards human life as Putin’s Russia, that image was shocking. The young man is one of 1,400 Africans forced into Russia’s army.

With over 1 million casualties since the 2022 invasion the Kremlin is short of men – and has turned to some of the world’s poorest people to plug the gap.

The sight of Africans shivering in the snows of Eastern Europe is eye catching. The path from their homelands to the trenches is a tortuous one.

Some were on their way to Europe as asylum seekers. As Europe has tightened the traditional entry routes in the Mediterranean, some tried to enter Europe via Russia.

But once on Russian soil, they were captured and forced into the meat........

© LBC