African families plead for missing sons fighting in Ukraine

Rodwin Chitewere, a mother from Beitbridge, Zimbabwe, marked her son's birthday with prayers instead of celebration after receiving word that he had been wounded in a drone strike while fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Tanaka Muzirikazi, who would have turned 23, departed his eastern Zimbabwe village in April with a cousin, and his family learned of his condition only after a relative saw a shift in his WhatsApp status and a contact from Russia sent a voice note about his injuries.

The mother expressed reliance on divine grace for his recovery. Across Botswana and South Africa, women are similarly desperate for the return of sons and husbands who were drawn into the war, and authorities have cautioned that recruitment networks continue to operate. The situation highlights the emotional toll on families left behind and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the fate of these volunteers.