Russian Orthodox Church Recruits African Students for Moscow’s War in Ukraine

Executive Summary:

• The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has been expanding its activities in Africa, including aiding in Moscow’s recruitment of locals for its paramilitary needs through religious belief.
• African students working and living in Russia under the guise of reconstructing ROC monasteries in Ryazan oblast are reportedly joining the Russian Armed Forces to take part in Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
• Low living standards, limited social security, and the declining popularity of the West in Africa could become a useful tool for Moscow in expanding its influence operations in the Global South.

In early March, Bishop Konstantin of Zaraisk, head of the exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa, traveled to Tanzania and administered the holy sacrament of baptism for the first time on African soil (Patriarchia.ru, March 12). Later, between August 10 and 29, he traveled to Kenya, where he held a series of meetings with members of the Russian Embassy and local followers of the Russian Orthodox creed. He also paid visits to the Russian-sponsored infrastructure in the area, such as schools and cathedrals (Patriarchia.ru, September 2). These activities point to Moscow’s renewed focus on expanding its influence and soft power in Africa. Given its lack of economic resources as compared to other major players such as China or the European Union, the Kremlin will likely continue to act through the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) to exert its influence through disinformation and spreading anti-Western sentiments that traditionally appeal to conservatism and anti-colonialism. A more menacing threat associated with the ROC and its activities in Africa pertains to Moscow’s recruitment of locals for its paramilitary needs through religious beliefs. Between 2021 and 2024, since the ROC established its own exarchate in Africa, the ROC launched an aggressive offensive in Africa that aims to expand the Kremlin’s presence and foster pro-Russian sentiment among locals, hoping to take advantage of anti-Western sentiments in some countries of the Global South (see EDM, October 22, December 4, 2019, April 23, August 5, 2020, February 22; ROC Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, accessed September 16).

On December 29, 2021, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church formed the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa. Russian Patriarch Kirill actively lobbied for this action and justified it through the ongoing split between the ROC, the “Ukrainian schismatics,” and opponents in the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria (Novayagazeta.ru, January 14, 2022). Russia’s first Patriarchal Exarch Metropolitan Leond (Gorbachev) (2021–23), an experienced veteran of clerical-diplomatic affairs, launched an aggressive information campaign to increase the participation of local African nationals in ROC activities. For this, he enticed local African nationals with generous financial stimuli and offers to pursue studies and careers under the umbrella of the ROC. Leonid was said to have been an avid supporter of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group. Following Prigozhin’s unsuccessful mutiny and his conflict with the ROC, the exarch was replaced by the more loyal Bishop Konstantin of Zaraisk (Novayagazeta.ru, January 23).

The second phase of the ROC’s campaign in Africa was associated with the inauguration of the second Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg on July 27–28, 2023. Patriarch Kirill spoke at length about Russia’s strategy in Africa and the role of the ROC therein. Speaking at the plenary session on July 27, he emphasized the deep roots of Christian Orthodoxy in Africa that stretch back to the last quarter of the 19th century. He highlighted that “unlike the colonists from the West, Russia has never seen Africa as an object of colonization … or a source of profit [and] never spoken with African nations in an arrogant tone. … That is why during hardships, we [Russia and African nations] could always rely on each other” (Exarchate-africa.ru, July 27, 2023). Later on, Kirill revealed that “over the past year and a half, the Patriarchal Exarchate had opened more than 200 parishes in more than 25 African countries.” He added that “many people appreciate the fact that we are a Church that does not distort God-given norms of morality in pursuit of new ideological brands” (Interfax.ru, July 27, 2023). In addition to Russian politicians and propagandists, ROC is also using “conservative” rhetoric in its attempts to increase Russia’s popularity in Africa. For instance, a hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov) stated, “The world is going through an epoch of changes. We are crossing some sort of milestone, after which the global order will look different. … Russia and African countries can set an example for the rest of the world. … We need to find a new model of collaboration between nations and countries. … By working together, Russia and Africa could offer this to the world” (Interaffairs.ru, July 28, 2023).

Aside from traditional rhetoric, the summit also demonstrated the link between the ROC and some of the large Russian state-sponsored corporations that are promoting Moscow’s interests in Africa. Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, who is the subject of a International Criminal Court warrant for her role in abducting and re-educating Ukrainian children, stated that “on the basis of the ROC, we [Russia] are completing various humanitarian projects aimed at helping [African] children. … We are conducting talks with several companies that are present in Africa, such as Rusal, Rosatom, JSCo RZhD [Russian Railways]” (Interfax.ru, July 27, 2023).

The third stage of the ROC’s campaign commenced this year and has already been marked by the highest number of African countries to join the church’s ranks. According to Konstantin of Zaraisk, 218 African priests from 17 different African countries—who work and “feed” communities in 29 African countries—are officially part of the ROC (Exarchate-africa.ru, February 7).

Moscow is already leveraging the ROC’s growing influence to recruit growing numbers of Africans to join the Russian Armed Forces to fight in Ukraine. African students working and living in Russia to reconstruct ROC monasteries in Ryazan oblast are reportedly joining the Russian army (see EDM, February 23; Exarchate-africa.ru, February 24). While Russian officials and ROC representatives deny these reports, officials in the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” have confirmed otherwise (VKontakte, February 21; RTVI, June 12).

According to an investigative report by Novaya Gazeta Europe, “Orthodox oligarch” Konstantin Malofeev may be facilitating and coordinating the recruitment of African mercenaries. Malofeev previously sponsored Igor Girkin (Strelkov) during his military “adventures” in Donbas back in 2014. The report stated that nationals from Burundi, Kenya, Cameroon, Madagascar, and Uganda have been allegedly identified in photographs of Russian forces in the occupied territories. They came to Russia as “students of the Nikolo-Ugreshskaya Orthodox Spiritual Seminary,” took part in construction projects, and reportedly ended up fighting in Ukraine. According to one African student, the Russo-Chinese cultural center “Zhar-ptitsa” (Firebird), located in the Yakimanka district in Moscow, manages the recruitment process. “Seminary students” were also reportedly recruited to conduct “construction projects” in Ryazan, Moscow, Tver, Yaroslavl, and Kirov oblasts. Novaya Gazeta Europe was able to substantiate that at least 26 such African “students” were recruited by the “Zhar-ptitsa” center (Novaya Gazeta, March 4). The exact number of foreign students fighting in Ukraine is unknown, but pro-Russian sources cite that between 4,000 (Ura.news, December 19, 2023) and 18,000 (Vsednr.ru, February 28) foreign nationals are fighting on the Russian side. The number of Africans recruited via the ROC, however, remains unknown.

Despite the anti-colonial rhetoric, Russian recruiters may view Africa, with over 1.3 billion people and 54 countries, as an intriguing and potentially lucrative market. Low living standards and social security, a drive toward conservatism, and the declining popularity of the West coupled with Russia’s growing involvement in continental affairs could become a useful tool for Moscow in Ukraine. The ROC’s expansion into Africa and its connection to African students fighting in the war demonstrates an important part of the church’s role for the Kremlin in waging the “long war” against Ukraine.