The report says the Kremlin has diversified its activities on the continent and preparations are underway for the third Russia–Africa Summit in 2026.

Alongside traditional military cooperation, Moscow is increasingly interested in promoting its soft power, such as education and culture. More and more African students are studying at Russian universities and agreements have been signed with Chad, Eritrea, Djibouti and Guinea.

"Africa's increased importance for Russia will persist in the near term. Russia will continue its efforts to deepen cooperation with African states," the yearbook states.

This cooperation also helps "solve a domestic problem."

"Where to place public servants, such as diplomats, intelligence officers, cultural workers and influence operatives, who can no longer be deployed in the West," the agency says.

Due to Russia's covert activities and the war in Ukraine, a large number of Russian diplomats have been expelled by Western governments over the last decade. Consulates have also been closed.

"Russia's federal agency Rossotrudnichestvo, a key player in the state's influence operations, has become increasingly active in Africa, opening offices in countries such as Guinea and Burkina Faso, among others. Additionally, the Russkiy Mir Foundation, which promotes the Russian language abroad, has expanded by opening new centres in Burundi and Uganda," the report says.

Moscow seeks to persuade Africans of its own narratives and spread anti-Western talking points.

This includes arguing that Western influence and cooperation in Africa are "neo-colonial, unjust and patronising". Russia portrays itself as a "champion of a genuinely multipolar world order and a defender of sovereignty, offering cooperation on the basis of equal partnership."

"Educational and cultural propaganda are effective tools for shaping the attitudes of the next generation in a more pro-Russian direction," the agency says.

African students sent to the frontline

In 2025, approximately 35,000 African students enrolled in Russian universities.

But the agency says "previous cordial relations" have been damaged due to the Russian Ministry of Defense sending students "to the front in Ukraine to die".

"Some families have received no compensation, and embassies have not been informed of the deaths. Hundreds of citizens from Zambia, Tanzania, Guinea, Cameroon, Eritrea, Nigeria and other states have been dispatched to the war in Ukraine," the yearbook says.

African embassies in Moscow have repeatedly stressed the need to raise threat awareness among students arriving in Russia, the agency says, but scholarships are small and students need to earn extra money to cover living costs.

"Russian authorities exploit this vulnerability by detaining African nationals working in Russia and refusing to extend their residence permits. These students are offered a choice between deportation and military service. Hundreds of African citizens who refused to take part in the war have subsequently been expelled from the country," the report states.

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