More than 1,700 Africans are reportedly fighting for Russia in the war in Ukraine.

Axar.az, citing Reuters, reports that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Wednesday, accusing Moscow of using deception to recruit them.

Speaking alongside his Ghanaian counterpart, Sybiha said Kyiv is engaging with governments across Africa to prevent their citizens from being drawn into such schemes.

Ghana is set to chair the African Union regional bloc next year.

"We clearly see that Russia is trying to drag African citizens into a deadly war," Sybiha told a news conference. "According to our data, there are currently over 1,780 citizens from the African continent fighting in the Russian army."

The recruited fighters come from 36 countries across the continent, he added.

Russian authorities have denied any illegal recruitment of African citizens.

Nevertheless, reports have increasingly emerged in recent months of African men being lured to Russia with job offers and ending up on Ukraine’s front lines, heightening tensions between Moscow and some African governments.