Moscow has refuted a report that Nigerian students were being "forced" to fight in Ukraine or face deportation from Russia.

The Russian Embassy in Nigeria has denied reports claiming Nigerian students based in Russia are being coerced into signing up for the military to help Moscow in its invasion of Ukraine, Nigerian media reported on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, a Bloomberg report alleged that Russia has been forcing African students to join in the fight against Ukraine before getting a renewal for their visas.

The report by the international news agency suggested Moscow is sending thousands of migrants and foreign students, including Nigerians, to fight alongside its troops in the war against Ukraine. The Bloomberg article had also been circulated among Nigerian media outlets.

"Some Africans in Russia on work visas have been detained and forced to decide between deportation or fighting," the Bloomberg report quoted a European official as saying.

Moscow denounces 'fake news'

On Wednesday, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria released a statement, saying it was "bewildered" by the publication of the claims by Nigerian news outlets.

"The Embassy of the Russian Federation is compelled to emphasize that such news is not only false but also damages Russian-Nigerian educational cooperation by misleading numerous scholarship and grant applicants as well as their partners, who could be extremely concerned by such fakes," Nigerian newspapers The Guardian and The Punch cited the embassy as saying.

It added that "Nigerian students face no difficulties in extending their visas."

On Tuesday, the Nigerian government also responded to the media reports, also denying that Nigerian students based in Russia were being coerced into signing up for the Kremlin's mission in Ukraine.

The embassy thanked the Nigerian Foreign Ministry for "debunking the fake news aimed at undermining the friendship and cooperation between Russia and Nigeria."

Putin's scramble to get more military personnel
At the end of March, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to enroll 150,000 conscripts into the military.

All men in Russia are required to serve one year of compulsory military service and, according to Reuters, Moscow has approximately 1.32 million active military personnel and two million reserve military personnel.

As of the end of May this year, the UK Ministry of Defense said over 465,000 Russian personnel had been killed or wounded since the onset of Russia's invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.

https://www.dw.com/en/russia-denies-coercing-nigerian-students-to-fight-in-ukraine/a-69348372

I don't expect Russia to admit anything, but forcefully sending foreign students to fight a war that doesn't concern them is wicked, unless they are volunteers, such thing should be done voluntarily

The news was obvious lies.

Why are Russian citizens not complaining about loosing their loved ones in the war in Ukraine? The answer is simple, most of the Russia troops at the front of the war are mercenaries

God1000:
I don't expect Russia to admit anything but forcefully sending foreign students to fight a war that doesn't concern them is wicked, unless they are volunteers, such thing should be done voluntarily

did any student tell you that he was forced to go to war by Russia authority? You go just dey reason like a mad man sometimes

0m0luabi:
did any student tell you that he was forced to go to war by Russia authority? You go just dey reason like a mad man sometimes

mind your language

It's all lies. They aren't recruiting shit.

Russia ain’t the one doing forceful mobilization.

The pervasive influence of western news sources in our media space is quite alarming. Of recent, Russia has been gaining ground in West and Central Africa while offering military, educational and economic cooperation across various countries on the African continent. Rarely will you see such news making it to the forefront of Nigerian news media or African news media for that matter.

Nigeria is very much in the grip of the West, our political system, economic system and infotainment are already captured.

Anyways, if you look at the country who actively seeks for mercenaries and press gangs its citizens to fight, it is Ukraine. But news media will not say so, as it is bad for business. Afterall, this conflict is simply a battle between the Russians and the West (using Ukrainian hands) for the multipolar world order. Ukraine is simply just the pawn in the middle. If Russia wins, then multipolarity wins. If the West wins, then the West remains the dominant hegemon in the world.

If you ask the average Nigerians who scream "Russia bad" on various social media or news platforms, why Russia is bad, you will be surprised that you find one credible response that isn't spoon fed from what they hear on Western news media.

May Nigeria free herself.

I knew it's a lie

If Nigerians were being forced to go to war in another country... Trust me no be cnn go publish d news or bloomberg.... Na we go cast d matter by ourselves....

See d UK university that wants to sponsor the deportation of Nigerians that have paid 90% of sch fees... When my people start to protest, dem change mouth immediately oh...

Any Nigerian fighting in Russia is doin it voluntarily, shey we get Nigerians 2 for US army wey dem deploy go Afghanistan

Of course you will deny it.

Those Russians can be racist.

Alright

And we no see their black faces

Ok nahh

Tell Russians that I am available to help out! Living in the Zoo now is destiny destruction..

Nonsense Liers

PUNANI01:
Tell Russians that I am available to help out! Living in the Zoo now is destiny destruction..

I was expecting someone will write something similar to this.
If Russia should open up a visa channel for volunteers to fight in Ukraine, many young Nigerians like you won't mind applying

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukQCb9BPFwc

What about the India mercenaries that were captured in Ukraine days ago

Russia can deny

All hail pro-Putin l*natics

This people can lie gan oo

Na something go lead to something wey go cum lead to something 🧐

All agbado miscreants should be taken to Russian war front. They are a disgrace to humans.

Loo

Ofcourse the will denied it. The two indians that were force to fight for russia were killed, if the were not force, why will a india man join russia forces to fight against ukraine?

Putin has wasted enough russians lives on a useless war and he still wont quick reasons why is now enlisting foreigners and forcing Africa student or no visa renewal policy.

I actually don't see any serious war going on between Ukraine and Russia. If there's a serious war going on there u won't be seeing Putin and zelenski traveling to different countries on fun fares. They'd rather be at home mourning the deads and also strategizing how to win the war.

Just few bombs here and there. Abegii. The real war is going on in Gaza

Na obvious lie na.

Nigerians wey dey there for don cut chain if na true.

helinues:
The news was obvious lies.

Why are Russian citizens not complaining about loosing their loved ones in the war in Ukraine? The answer is simple, most of the Russia troops at the front of the war are machineries

Mercenaries