Following the arrest of their leader, Horațiu Potra, in late 2025, many members of the Romanian paramilitary group Asociatia RALF sought new employers, including the Russian forces.
According to information published by Intelligence Online in March 2026, approximately 40 fighters from the Romanian group joined the Russian ranks. Some of these men joined the Russian armed forces directly on the Ukrainian front.
Others joined the Afrika Korps, the organization that succeeded the Wagner Group on the African continent and is under the direct control of the Kremlin.
Background on the arrest of Horațiu Potra
Horațiu Potra, a former French-Romanian legionnaire, was arrested in Dubai in September 2025 before being extradited to Romania in November 2025. He is being prosecuted for attempting to undermine the constitutional order (suspected conspiracy to stage a coup in late 2024 during the annulment of the Romanian presidential election), illegal possession of weapons and explosives, and for mercenary activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Before his downfall, Potra led hundreds of mercenaries (mainly Romanian) hired by the Kinshasa government to fight the M23 rebels. After the rebels fell on Goma in January 2025, his troops were captured and then repatriated.
This transition to Russian forces illustrates the rapid conversion of these private contractors from Eastern Europe to Russian state paramilitary structures, already very active in the areas of influence where RALF operated.
This shift of Romanian paramilitaries to Russian structures marks a turning point for the Asociatia RALF organization, which is moving from a service provider role for African governments (such as in the DRC) to direct integration into Moscow’s military apparatus. The 40 fighters integrated into the regular Russian ranks bring combat experience acquired during private security and counterinsurgency missions.
Africa Corps (formerly Wagner Group)
By joining this organization (formerly Wagner Group), these men allow Russia to maintain its operations in the Sahel and Libya while using experienced European fighters, less identifiable than regular Russian troops. This defection reinforces suspicions about the connections between the Romanian far right and the Kremlin, particularly following the links established between Horațiu Potra and pro-Russian circles before his arrest.
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