War and video games are not just a game of Call of Duty in one’s living room. Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has been using various recruitment strategies to offset its massive human losses. Among them, infiltrating the world of video games to find mercenaries and drone pilots.
According to an investigation published by Business Insider Africa and Bloomberg on January 7th, Russia is using video game platforms like Discord to recruit young South Africans and send them to fight in Ukraine. This was the case with two young players of Arma 3 – a realistic war simulation game – who were contacted by a recruiter using the pseudonym @Dash on Discord. “The social nature of video games allows for different relationships than traditional networks. You share an activity, a group. You develop partisan biases, a common goal, and become more influential in this context,” analyzes Carole Grimaud, a doctoral student in information sciences and a specialist in Russia.
After several exchanges, the three individuals met in Cape Town before heading to the Russian consulate. The two men left South Africa on July 29, 2024, via the United Arab Emirates. They were promised a handsome sum, Russian citizenship, and the opportunity to pursue studies. A few weeks after signing their military contracts near St. Petersburg, one of them was killed while fighting in the Luhansk region. The fate of the second individual remains unknown.
Context: Russia’s recruitment efforts in the gaming community have raised concerns about the exploitation of video games for military purposes.
Fact Check: The story about Russian recruiters using video games to enlist people for combat in Ukraine is based on real events that took place in the aftermath of the Ukraine invasion.
Translation completed.
