MOSCOW'S DIVISIVE RECRUITMENT PRACTICES
Over the past year, Russia has ramped up the recruitment of foreign nationals for its war on Ukraine – often luring these individuals with false and misleading promises of employment and financial reward. The strategy is expansive, reportedly encompassing no fewer than 43 nations, from Argentina to Somalia, whose nationals have become the targets of active recruitment by the Kremlin. It is also significant; according to Ukrainian estimates, there are now some 18,000 foreign nationals fighting with the Russian army.
Africa has been a major recruitment target. According to Reuters, over 1,780 citizens from 36 different African countries are now fighting for Russia – with many enlisted under false pretenses. The practice, in turn, is increasingly exacting a foreign policy cost, with Russia's allies expressing growing concerns about the practice.
The dynamic has prompted Moscow to attempt a course correction. The Russian government has reportedly issued a "stop-list" ordering military recruiters to avoid soliciting from 43 countries that the Kremlin considers "friendly." The initial list, circulated in January, named 36 countries, mostly from the Middle East and North Africa. That list has now been expanded, iStories details, as Russia comes under fire from more and more governments for the practice. (Meduza, February 23, 2026; Reuters, February 26, 2026)
RUSSIA'S REAL ESTATE ESPIONAGE
Numerous intelligence agencies from across Western Europe have told The Telegraph that Russian-owned businesses, individual homes, and Russian Orthodox churches have been built suspiciously close to European military bases. Authorities believe that this is the work of Russian espionage services using the cover of private property purchases, and warn that many of these locations may already house weapons, explosives, and drones for use in hybrid warfare, surveillance, or potential military invasion. In response, many European countries, including Finland and the Baltic states, have taken to banning any real-estate purchases by Russians and Belarusians, while other nations have begun placing stricter rules on ownership rights. (The Telegraph, February 23, 2026)
RUSSIA MOVES TO BOLSTER BUDAPEST
In recent years, despite European pressure over its war on Ukraine, Russia has still managed to rack up a few allies on the continent. The most prominent and visible of these has been Viktor Orban. The Hungarian Prime Minister has adopted an increasingly pro-Kremlin stance since returning to office in 2010, and has emerged as a strident anti-Ukrainian voice in European discussions since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. But now, Orban is facing a difficult reelection contest at home, where his ruling Fidesz party is lagging behind the opposition Tisza Party ahead of next month's elections.
Predictably, the Kremlin is mobilizing to assist. The Kyiv Independent reports that the Russian government has dispatched a three-person team of social media specialists from the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency, to Budapest. The team is said to be overseen by Kremlin aide Sergey Kiriyenko, and is believed to be planning on "applying the same set of methods deployed during the Moscow-backed meddling in the Moldovan parliamentary elections last year." (Kyiv Independent, March 6, 2026)