Fresh kernel flaw comes with public exploit code and continues ugly run of highly reliable privilege escalation bugs tied to memory and page-cache handling
Linux admins hoping Dirty Frag was a one-off horror from the kernel networking stack are about to have a considerably worse week.
Researchers at Wiz have published an analysis of “Fragnesia,” a Linux kernel local privilege escalation flaw discovered by William Bowling of the V12 security team that allows unprivileged users to gain root by corrupting page cache memory. The bug, tracked as CVE-2026-46300, has public proof-of-concept exploit code documented by V12 on GitHub that demonstrates the vulnerability being used against /usr/bin/su to spawn a root shell.
According to Google-owned Wiz, the flaw sits in the Linux kernel’s XFRM subsystem, specifically ESP-in-TCP processing tied to IPsec support. By carefully triggering the bug, attackers can modify protected file data in memory without changing the original files stored on disk.
Wiz describes Fragnesia as part of the broader “Dirty Frag” bug family rather than a completely separate class of issue. Dirty Frag itself only surfaced days ago and was already attracting attention thanks to public exploit code, incomplete patch coverage, and unusually reliable privilege escalation.
According to researcher Hyunwoo Kim, who uncovered Dirty Frag, “Fragnesia” emerged as an unintended side effect of patches shipped to fix the original Dirty Frag vulnerabilities, adding yet another entry to the long tradition of security fixes accidentally creating new security problems.
As The Register previously reported, Dirty Frag followed hot on the heels of Copy Fail, another Linux kernel privilege escalation flaw that abused page cache handling to overwrite supposedly read-only files.
Historically, local Linux privilege escalation bugs had a reputation for being unreliable, crash-prone, or fiddly enough that attackers needed good timing and a fair bit of luck to pull them off cleanly. Fragnesia looks different, as Wiz and V12 both say the exploit avoids race conditions entirely, making it far more predictable than older Linux root exploits like Dirty COW.
That makes the bug much more useful after an initial compromise. An attacker who gains access to a system through phishing, stolen credentials, or a vulnerable cloud workload suddenly has a cleaner path to full root access.
The V12 proof-of-concept repository is already public, while Linux vendors have started pushing out advisories and mitigation guidance. AlmaLinux warned that all supported releases are affected and urged administrators to patch quickly or disable unused ESP-related functionality where possible.
Similar advisories have also been issued by Amazon Linux, CloudLinux, Debian, Gentoo, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE, and Ubuntu as distributors scramble to assess exposure across supported kernel versions.
Microsoft also urged organizations to patch quickly, noting that though it had not observed in-the-wild exploitation so far, Fragnesia “can modify any file readable by the user, including [/]etc[/]passwd.”
The Linux networking stack is starting to look less like infrastructure and more like a root exploit vending machine. ®
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star Ronda Rousey will fight the pioneering women’s MMA fighter, Gina Carano, on Saturday, May 16, 2026, as the legendary martial artists come out of long retirements to finally face-off.
The fight, which is part of the first MMA card to be shown on Netflix and will be produced by Most Valuable Promotions, will take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
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The card will also include a heavyweight matchup between Francis Ngannou and Philipe Lins, as well as a fight between Nate Diaz and Mike Perry.
Here’s everything you need to know about the card.
What time are the fights?
The main card will start at about 9pm Eastern time on Saturday (01:00 GMT on Sunday).
The preliminaries will start at about 6pm Eastern time on Saturday (22:00 GMT).
How can I watch it?
The main card will stream globally on Netflix and is included in all subscriptions.
The preliminary fights will be streamed on Tudum.
What are the rules for Rousey vs Carano?
The featherweight (140lb, 63.5kg) fight is scheduled for five five-minute rounds, and the fighters will wear 4-ounce (113g) gloves.
They will follow the Unified Rules of MMA, which have been adopted by major promotions such as the UFC.
What’s at stake in the Rousey vs Carano fight?
Pride and bragging rights since there is no title on the line.
Carano, 44, and Cris Cyborg were the first women to headline a major MMA event during their 2009 bout in the Strikeforce promotion. Carano retired after losing that fight with a record of 7-1.
Rousey, 39, arguably became the most famous athlete in women’s combat sports history as she won six consecutive UFC fights, with many ending in less than a minute.
But she retired with a record of 12-2 after back-to-back defeats to Holly Holm in November 2015 and Amanda Nunes in December 2016.
What has Rousey said before the fight?
When Rousey lost her final two UFC fights and realised she needed to prioritise her health, including her increasing susceptibility to concussions, she left the spotlight of the cage for acting and professional wrestling, followed by marriage and two children.
“I had to allow my body to rest and heal,” Rousey told The Associated Press news agency.
Rousey also told ABC Sport Daily that she had lost her love for MMA towards the end.
“I think that’s what I was missing towards the end of my career … I just didn’t want to be there any more,” she said in a recent interview.
But now she says she’s happy to be fighting again on her terms.
“This is my chance to really change all of those prior associations and make this thing mine again,” she said.
Meanwhile, on social media a few weeks ago, Rousey criticised the UFC’s upcoming White House event as an “oligarch shmooze fest” while promoting her own fight.
“I know I’m biased, but I can’t remember ever seeing a single card more stacked than this in MMA history,” she wrote on Instagram about Saturday’s Netflix card. “This is what happens when fighters come together and bet on themselves – change is coming, we are not expendable – WE ARE THIS BUSINESS!!
“This is a fight card for EVERYONE, not some oligarch shmooze fest (*cough* #whitehousecard *cough!), tickets start at just $68 @intuitdome!!!”
Rousey participates in the open workout for the fight against Carano at Venice Beach on May 13, 2026 [Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix/AFP]
What has Carano said before the fight?
Carano has had a successful acting career since retiring from MMA, notably as Cara Dune in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian.
But she says she wants to remind people of her fighting legacy and that she is taking on Rousey to win.
“I get to revive and reveal the fighting side of me because a lot of people either forgot or weren’t around the last time I fought,” Carano told ESPN in April.
“I’ve heard people say Ronda Rousey is fighting the girl from The Mandalorian. No, I had a whole life that opened the doors to those movie opportunities, and it was me being a fighter, a genuine fighter who broke a lot of barriers.
“Everything I’ve gone through leading to this point already feels like a victory, but I’m not fighting Ronda just to say I fought Ronda Rousey. I’m fighting to win.”
Carano during her open workout [Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix/AFP]
Who is favoured to win in the Rousey vs Carano fight?
Rousey is currently a heavy -600 favourite (with an estimated 86 percent win likelihood) according to sportsbooks, with Carano a +425 underdog.
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NBA great Charles Barkley used the tragic death of Jason Collins this week to admonish America for being anti-gay on ESPN’s “Inside the NBA” Wednesday night.
Imagine how thrilled the suits in Bristol were during this segment? Not that Chuck needs it, but they’d give him a raise in a SECOND after this rant.
Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player, died this week at 47. He passed following an eight-month battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer he had been fighting since last August.
Jason Collins of the Brooklyn Nets plays against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 2, 2014.(Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The 7-footer out of Stanford was primarily used in defensive and physical matchups during his career, but became a household name in 2013 when he came out in a first-person essay for Sports Illustrated.
During Wednesday’s “Inside the NBA,” Barkley said we “live in a homophobic society,” before dropping this bombshell on viewers:
Charles Barkley can mourn without virtue-signaling
“Anybody who thinks that we don’t have a bunch of gay players in all sports, they’re just stupid,” Barkley said. “There is such animosity toward the gay community. That’s what’s really unfortunate. If you think there’s not more gay players in the NFL, Major League Baseball and the NBA, you’re just stupid.”
Well, there you have it. Charles Barkley has spoken. Apparently, he knows a ton of gay athletes across various leagues who are scared to come out because of the “homophobic society” we live in. Barkley later said during this rant that gay people in the “Black community” get “treated awful.”
Former Phoenix Suns player Charles Barkley attends an NBA Cup game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on Nov. 21, 2025.(Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
A couple humdingers here from Chuck, who was clearly on one this week after the passing of Collins and Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke. Obviously, tensions are high right now in the NBA world, and rightfully so. Two deaths in the same week is almost unheard of in the sports world. It’s a lot. I get it.
That being said, this seems like a bit much from Barkley, who can be … outspoken … every once in a while. Breaking news, I know. Charles Barkley says some crazy things. Wild.
Collins coming out was a huge deal. I remember it well, and I HATE the NBA. Loathe it. But it was all folks talked about for weeks.
Honestly, I’d argue that society was far more anti-gay in 2013 than it is now, for what it’s worth. Has Charles been alive for the past six years? It’s like we overcorrected, and now if you don’t accept every single person — including dudes who pummel women between the hashes — you’re the antichrist.
Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley from TNT talk during State Farm All-Star Saturday Night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 17, 2024.(Brandon Todd/NBAE/Getty Images)
As for the other players around the league(s) who Barkley insists are gay and hiding it … I can’t speak to that. I have no clue if that’s true or not. Charles Barkley, to be fair, would probably know better than I do. To my knowledge, there has never been an openly gay player in MLB. Same with the NHL.
There have been a couple in the NFL: Carl Nassib and Michael Sam.
That’s it. The list is short. Perhaps Chuck knows something we don’t? Again, I don’t know.
Frankly, I don’t care. Two athletes died this week. We can mourn them without virtue-signaling. That’s fair, right?
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Catalina Mancera thanked supporters in an emotional message as she celebrated the unborn child she shares with late Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.
In November, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Frisco Police Department confirmed that Kneeland died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a police chase in Texas. The 24-year-old recorded his first NFL touchdown just days before his death.
Mancera recently held a baby shower attended by friends and family. She shared photos from the special event Monday on Instagram, writing, “Words can’t explain how thankful I am for the people God has placed in my life. In such a hard season, the love and support surrounding me have made everything feel a little brighter.”
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland walks on the field during the team’s training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields in Oxnard, Calif., on July 25, 2024.(Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire)
She continued with a heartfelt thank-you to friends and family, crediting their love and prayers with helping carry her through a difficult time.
“I’m so grateful for everyone who came out to celebrate me and baby, and even those who couldn’t make it but still showed love from afar. I also want to thank my family for throwing me such a beautiful shower in Michigan. I want to thank both of our families for all the love they’ve poured into me during this time. I’ll never forget the kindness, prayers, and support that have carried me through all of this,” the Instagram caption concluded.
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland walks off the field after the game against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sept. 15, 2024.(Tim Heitman/Imagn Images)
Kneeland was a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and appeared in 18 games for Dallas.
Police said officers responded to the scene on Nov. 6, 2025, and found a vehicle that had crashed near the southbound lanes of a local parkway. Kneeland fled on foot.
Authorities also said Kneeland contacted his family via text message prior to his death to tell them goodbye, police told dispatchers, according to audio obtained and reviewed by People.
Marshawn Kneeland #94 of the Dallas Cowboys rushes the passer during an NFL game against the New York Giants at AT&T Field in Arlington, Texas, on Sept. 14, 2025.(Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Shortly after the tragedy, the Cowboys released a statement, saying, “It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning. Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”
Last year, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said a scholarship fund had been created for Kneeland’s daughter.
“We want to make sure she is taken care of and the baby is taken care of for the rest of their lives—it’s very important to our guys and to us,” Schottenheimer said. “The organization has been amazing, we’ve started the Marshawn Kneeland Memorial Fund where we can all give and support Catalina.”
Schottenheimer also revealed that the team launched a memorial fund honoring Kneeland and supporting Catalina. Schottenheimer also recalled some of the memories he shared with the late pass rusher.
“Marshawn loved the words ‘one love,’” Schottenheimer explained. “So, we talked a lot about love as we grieve.”
Chief executives who attended private school are perceived by investors as a “safer bet”, according to a study, despite there being no evidence they perform or behave differently to their state-educated counterparts.
Companies run by privately educated bosses tend to experience lower stock market volatility, even though there are no meaningful differences in their performance, decision-making or crisis management, the research from the University of Surrey found.
The stock volatility at firms led by this group was on average 5% lower, although the study found these executives did not take fewer risks, deliver better results or handle crises more effectively. Instead, the effect was driven by investors’ perception that those with elite backgrounds were more competent or stable.
Investors may be mistaking privilege for competence when dealing with uncertainty, according to the study, published in the journal European Financial Management, highlighting a disparity between how financial markets judge bosses and how those leaders actually behave.
Dr Christos Mavrovitis, a co-author of the study and a senior lecturer in finance and accounting at the University of Surrey, said: “People like to think markets are purely rational, but our findings show that perception still plays a powerful role. A chief executive’s background can shape how investors feel about a company, even when it has no real impact on how that company is run.”
Researchers analysed decades of data on US firms, using private school attendance as an indicator of the socioeconomic background of the chief executive. They compared stock market volatility, company performance and corporate decisions at companies led by executives educated at private and state schools.
They found the impact of the perceived lower risk for the privately educated weakens over time as more information becomes available about a leader’s performance. It also fades in firms that face greater scrutiny by analysts or have higher levels of institutional investment, suggesting that better-informed investors rely less on social signals.
Separate research has previously shown that private school alumni tightened their grip on some of the most powerful and influential roles in British society between 2019 and last year, including in business and the media.
The 2025 report by the social mobility charity the Sutton Trust found that of the FTSE 100 chief executives educated in the UK, only a third (34%) attended a state comprehensive school, while almost two-fifths (37%) attended private school. FTSE 100 chairs were even more likely to be privately educated. Just 7% of the UK population attended paying schools.
Students of American history may recall the nullification crisis of the 1830s, when South Carolina asserted for itself the right to declare federal law void inside its state borders. President Andrew Jackson asserted federal authority, South Carolina backed down, and the crisis passed peacefully.
The idea that a state could nullify federal law effectively ended three decades later with the bloodshed of the Civil War. It was further buried in the 1950s by Supreme Court decisions and President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizing the National Guard to enforce federal law in Little Rock, Arkansas.
But for today’s radical Democrats, there is a new front in the nullification fight — this time around criminal aliens and so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions.
In sanctuary jurisdictions across the country, from California to Virginia, state and local officials are declaring themselves immune from federal immigration laws. These cities and states, all run by Democrats, each have policies or ordinances that obstruct federal immigration enforcement within their borders.
These sanctuary jurisdictions prohibit their law-enforcement agencies from working or even communicating with federal immigration officials. Some, like Washington and Colorado, prohibit local jails from delaying the release of criminal aliens so that federal authorities may safely take them into custody. Officials in Minnesota want to go even further, seeking to place restrictions on where and how federal authorities may enforce immigration law in the state.
By providing safe haven for illegal aliens — including violent criminals, child abusers, and drug traffickers — and impeding federal authorities from safely enforcing immigration statutes, sanctuary jurisdictions essentially declare federal immigration law to be void within their borders.
The debate over sanctuary jurisdictions isn’t merely some abstract legal disagreement — although the Constitution is crystal clear that federal law is the supreme law of the land, and Democrats’ appeals to states’ rights and an obscure legal concept known as the anti-commandeering doctrine fall short.
At least one-third of Americans live in localities that refuse to enforce federal immigration law. For these American citizens, radical Democrats’ sanctuary policies can be life and death.
Look no further than Fairfax County, Virginia. The far-left prosecutor there, Steve Descano, ran for office promising to make charging decisions that would “avoid immigration consequences.” In December 2025, Descano’s office dropped assault charges against an alleged MS-13 gang member and released him onto the street, despite a request from federal immigration authorities to take the illegal alien into custody. Just one day after his release, the gang member allegedly committed a murder. If Fairfax County was not a sanctuary jurisdiction — if Descano and local officials allowed immigration authorities to enforce federal law—this killing could have been avoided.
Sanctuary jurisdictions put law-enforcement officers in danger too. In Denver, for example, local authorities released an illegal alien and suspected Tren de Aragua gang member rather than allow federal immigration officials to take him into custody in a secure jail facility. When immigration officials sought to arrest the gang member on the street, he tried to flee and assaulted an officer. This attack on law enforcement could have been avoided.
Sanctuary policies act as a pull factor for illegal immigration, incentivizing foreign nationals to enter the country. As we saw during the Biden Administration, a record number of illegal aliens surged across the border, knowing if they could get to a sanctuary jurisdiction they would be here to stay. An untold number of illegal aliens — including criminals and terrorists — entered the United States in those four years.
The modern Democrat Party has become the party of open borders and unlimited illegal immigration. It is a party that demonizes federal law-enforcement officers and defunds vital immigration law-enforcement operations. It is the party, quite simply, that prioritizes the protection of criminal aliens over the safety of American citizens.
The nullification of federal law died with the secessionists and segregationists decades ago. But today’s radical Democrats are reviving it to protect criminal aliens from federal immigration enforcement. That’s wrong and just plain dangerous. The sooner Democrats respect federal immigration law, the better for the public safety of all Americans.
Republican Tom McClintock represents California’s 5th congressional district.
Republican Jim Jordan represents Ohio’s Fourth District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Doctors welcome joined-up care plan, but warn patient trust depends on safeguards, access controls, and knowing where Palantir fits in
The UK government has confirmed plans for a Single Patient Record (SPR), a major overhaul of NHS health data management that could involve the service’s controversial Palantir-run Federated Data Platform (FDP).
In the King’s Speech yesterday, the Labour government said it would push ahead with plans to introduce the NHS Modernisation Bill in the new Parliamentary year, which is set to include legislation for the introduction of the SPR.
Previous governments have found their efforts to bring together electronic patient records held by family doctors, hospitals, and other specialist services beset by technical complexity, a mind-bending web of rules and roles, and some cultural intransigence. Nonetheless, the government said its plan for the SPR would allow the NHS to “bring together patients’ health and social care records into one place to improve patient safety and experience.”
It said patients would be able to see their own health records securely on the NHS App. The plan is to roll out the service to those receiving maternity and frailty care by 2028, with wider implementation to follow.
An impact statement for the policy, published in January, said costs would encompass product development, tech, and data integration including alignment with external vendors, delivery and administration such as business case development, engagement, clinical and system input, as well as commercial costs.
“The broad scope of the SPR means it will require investment to ensure that staff such as paramedics and community pharmacists have the same access to their patients’ data as those working in GP surgeries and hospitals,” it said. “Depending on the approach to the SPR, in order to maximize its value, activities may need to include translating the medical terminology in care records into plain English so that they can be readily understood and used by the patient, and to digitize historic patient information.”
While the document says the SPR could support automated triage of patients, potentially reducing variation in the service, “there are risks to delivering the Single Patient Record due to the magnitude and complexity of the program and integration with legacy systems.”
The impact assessment said there was a risk of reliance on a single provider and “de-facto vendor-lock.”
“While many clinicians would support data sharing for the purposes of improving care, there may be a risk of clinical resistance to changes to data sharing if safeguards are perceived to be insufficient,” the document said.
Dr Emma Runswick, council deputy chair of doctors’ union the BMA, said: “The NHS Modernisation Bill is a huge undertaking and doctors’ and patients’ past experience with large top-down reorganisations of the NHS have not always been a happy one. The announcement of a SPR is welcome, however it is crucial that GPs’ voices are listened to in its implementation to ensure patient data remains safe and patient confidence is protected.”
Currently, GPs are official “controllers” of patient data under UK data protection law, although that may change with the introduction of the new SPR.
NHS England is currently planning the SPR rollout. A meeting held by the soon-to-be-defunct quango last year “accepted that an appropriate data controller for SPR is necessary” and that change would require a review of the legislation.
The minutes, obtained by campaign group medConfidential under the Freedom of Information Act, said: “Given SPR will be a multi-service record it would not be appropriate for GPs to act as the data controller. It was agreed that while the NHS will be the data controller/custodian, patients would expect to own their records: how this can be achieved requires further thought.”
In an official statement, BMA GP Committee England chair Dr Katie Bramall said: “GPC England has not been part of the discussions on what form the Single Patient Record will take, who will be granted access, the purposes for which it will be used, or which company will be contracted to operate it.
“There are already existing mechanisms that allow those in secondary care to view the live GP record, and therefore, the Government needs to explain why an additional system is needed. Until the security of any data flows can be guaranteed, and full patient-facing audit trails are made available via the NHS App showing who has accessed confidential medical data and why, we remain concerned.
“We also remind patients that they can exercise their right to opt out of secondary uses of their confidential medical data by visiting the NHS website.”
The NHS England Data and Digital Technology Committee also heard that the NHS was considering using existing electronic patient record (EPR) systems and/or a role for the controversial Federated Data Platform, run by US spy-tech firm Palantir, in building the SPR solution.
Sam Smith, medConfidential coordinator, told The Register that the FDP/Palantir arrangement – which has been the focus of fierce criticism in Parliament recently – is likely to have a role either way.
“Either there’s going to be a new data store – which will be in Palantir – or there’ll be infrastructure for bringing various APIs together, where you make a single call and you get back a summary of the patient’s record. The system doing that will be the FDP. [NHS England] has not publicly decided what they’re going to do, in practice. They’ll probably do the API thing first, and if they don’t get everything they wanted, they will eventually take a copy of the data.”
The government has backed its ambitions for NHS technology with a promised £10 billion in investment. But nationally led digital transformation in the NHS has failed in the past. The ambitious National Programme for IT (NPfIT), launched by the Blair Labour government in 2003, had a budget estimated at £12.7 billion ($17.2 billion).
Although NPfIT introduced a number of new technologies, it fell short of introducing electronic health records throughout the NHS. The National Audit Office said it did not represent value for money, and in 2020 it warned there was a lack of systematic learning from past failures in NHS digital transformation. ®
Harare, Zimbabwe – Elvis Sitshela remains deeply unsettled by the sudden departure of his brother, Dumisani, to Russia in early 2026. Dumisani left in complete secrecy, without telling the family, until a shocking text arrived from an international number.
“Hi, brother, I am in Russia now. It’s me, Dumisani,” recalled Elvis, who requested his real name be withheld for safety.
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“He was unemployed for a long time and tried to settle in South Africa, but it didn’t work out; he returned home last December. By January, he was gone,” Elvis said.
Weeks later, the family received more troubling news: A neighbour who had travelled with Dumisani was killed in Ukraine, where Russia has been waging a full-scale war for the past four years.
“I am appealing to the Zimbabwean and Russian governments to work together to bring our brothers home,” he added, urging officials in Harare and Moscow to act before it is too late.
Trafficking charges
In late March, four people appeared before Harare Magistrates’ Court facing human trafficking charges.
The group is accused of sending Zimbabweans to Russia, where the victims were allegedly forced to participate in Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
The accused – Obert Hlavati, Tonderai Maphosa, Tanaka Malcon Gwarada, and Edson Dudzayi Nyamudeza – were not asked to plead during their appearance before Magistrate Jessi Kufa.
According to the prosecution, the four conspired with a Russian national named Ivan to traffic six Zimbabweans to Russia.
Separately, a few days ago, security officials at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo international airport intercepted two brothers attempting to board a flight to Russia. Although the pair claimed they were travelling to attend a university open event in Moscow, authorities grew suspicious and prevented them from leaving.
While these incidents remain isolated, the larger problem persists: Zimbabweans continue dying in Russia’s war.
State intervention
Elvis’s plea to the Zimbabwean and Russian governments to bring his brother home comes as Zimbabwean authorities confirm that a growing number of citizens have died while serving with Russian forces.
Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana said Harare is working to repatriate four citizens killed in Ukraine.
“Zimbabweans have been trafficked as foreign fighters. Eighteen have died abroad, yet the government can repatriate only four; the others are held up by documentation problems,” Mangwana said on X.
Minister of Information Zhemu Soda blamed predatory employment agencies that promise high salaries and secure work to lure desperate job seekers into conflict zones.
Zimbabweans have been trafficked as foreign fighters. Eighteen have died abroad, yet the government can repatriate only four; the others are held up by documentation problems
by Nick Mangwana, government spokesperson of Zimbabwe
“Our citizens are being preyed upon by unscrupulous networks who operate with complete disregard for human life,” Soda told a news briefing in Harare on March 25. He warned that traffickers use social media to target young people.
Former Senator Tshepiso Helen Mpofu urged people to be cautious of job advertisements circulating online.
“Our young people must verify opportunities before applying, especially those abroad, and not fall for schemes that promise wealth or stability,” Mpofu said.
She called on the government to focus on economic empowerment and genuine job creation while engaging Russia to prevent citizens from being exploited in military service.
Forced enlistment
“Upon arrival in Russia, recruits are reportedly met by men in military uniform. They are placed on buses and taken to army barracks, where the process quickly turns dangerous,” explained veteran journalist Ezra Sibanda, whose investigation into recruitment networks gained traction in early March.
“At the barracks, they are processed, fingerprinted, and pressured into signing military contracts. Their passports and phones are confiscated, and they undergo brief training lasting 10 days to a month,” Sibanda said.
Through live Facebook broadcasts, Sibanda confronted Zimbabweans on the front lines and their alleged recruiters. His investigation revealed a sophisticated cross-border network that lures recruits with financial incentives, targeting those struggling economically.
“A Zimbabwean known as ‘Tshaka the Zulu,’ originally from the Matobo region and formerly based in South Africa, is operating out of Moscow, alongside a Russian national known as ‘Poma’,” Sibanda told Al Jazeera.
“They are the ringleaders. Their networks across Zimbabwe and South Africa are secretive and decentralised, making it nearly impossible to determine how many people have been sent to the front lines.”
Upon arrival in Russia, the recruits are reportedly met by men in military uniform and transported to army barracks [Ezra Sibanda/Al Jazeera]
Sibanda noted that the network’s activities are contributing to the continuing casualties among Zimbabweans deployed abroad.
Efforts by Al Jazeera to reach “Tshaka the Zulu”, “Poma”, and other alleged recruitment agents in Zimbabwe and South Africa were unsuccessful, with multiple calls and text messages going unanswered.
Enticing wages
Sibanda noted that Zimbabweans, particularly those living in South Africa, are being enticed by life-altering sums, a reported sign-on bonus of up to $37,000, followed by monthly wages of approximately $4,000.
However, the job advertisement is often a deadly bait-and-switch. Some believe they are joining the military; others are misled into thinking they will work as truck drivers or in construction, only to discover the truth once it is too late.
“Most of the promises made to them are not fulfilled. In some cases, a small amount, around $2,000, is reportedly sent to their families back home via South Africa, but thereafter, many receive nothing further,” Sibanda added.
Recognising the urgency, Sibanda began engaging the Zimbabwean government directly.
The impetus came from the soldiers themselves, he said. Multiple Zimbabweans stationed on the front lines had reached out to him with a desperate request to see if their government could intervene and help them return home.
“I have engaged the government of Zimbabwe on this matter and am happy with their positive response,” said Sibanda.
“They have shown interest to assist, and are currently working on compiling details of Zimbabweans who may have been recruited into these mercenary operations linked to the Russian army, so I will provide them to the authorities,” he said.
“It is important to note that many of these individuals left to join without the knowledge or approval of Zimbabwean authorities. The situation is further complicated by the fact that recruitment is reportedly taking place in South Africa, making it difficult for the government to monitor or protect its citizens, as there is no clear oversight or record of the agencies involved.”
![Upon arrival in Russia, the recruits are reportedly met by men dressed in military uniform, and transported to army barracks [Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/photoy-1-1778295774.jpg?w=500&resize=500%2C600&quality=80)