Corpses Of Two Nigerians Fighting For Russia Recovered In Ukraine As More Africans Deployed In ‘Suicide’ Units
Two Nigerians Killed Fighting for Russia in Ukraine, Kyiv Intelligence Claims
February 12, 2026
The bodies of two Nigerian nationals who reportedly travelled to fight for Russia in the ongoing war with Ukraine have been recovered in eastern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian military intelligence.
Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence agency (DIU) said on Thursday that the corpses of Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole (born April 3, 1983) and Mbah Stephen Udoka (born January 7, 1988) were discovered in the Luhansk region.
According to the agency, the two men were killed by drone strikes in late November 2025 while attempting to storm Ukrainian positions.
In a statement, the DIU alleged that both Nigerians had signed military contracts with Russian forces shortly before being deployed to the front lines. It claimed Udoka signed a contract on September 28, 2025, and was sent into active combat five days later without formal training.
The agency further alleged that the men were among foreign recruits deployed in high-risk infantry assaults with heavy casualty rates.
“Both Nigerians were killed in late November during an attempt to storm Ukrainian positions… they never engaged in a firefight; the mercenaries were eliminated by a drone strike,” the statement said.
Allegations of Exploitation
Ukrainian intelligence described what it called a broader pattern of African nationals being recruited with promises of employment or financial incentives and then deployed directly to front-line combat.
The DIU characterised some of the operations as “meat assaults” — waves of infantry attacks intended to exhaust Ukrainian defences, often at significant human cost.
There has been no immediate response from Russian authorities regarding the specific allegations.
Similar Cases in Kenya
The report comes amid growing concern in parts of Africa about nationals allegedly recruited into the war.
In Mukurweini, Nyeri County in Kenya, the family of 31-year-old Charles Waithaka Wangari, a former footballer who reportedly died in combat on December 25, 2025, held a funeral ceremony without his body after it was allegedly unrecoverable from the battlefield.
Similarly, in Kisii, Kenya, the family of 29-year-old Clinton Nyapara Mogesa conducted a symbolic burial following reports of his death in combat. His body was not returned.
Kenyan authorities have acknowledged cases involving citizens travelling to Russia for work opportunities who later ended up in military service. The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs estimates that more than 200 Kenyans may have been recruited, though some accounts suggest the figure could be higher.
On February 11, 2026, Kenyan officials said 27 citizens had been rescued and repatriated from Russia and Ukraine. At least four Kenyans are reportedly being held in a prisoner-of-war camp in Kyiv, with negotiations ongoing for their release.
Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi is expected to visit Moscow in March 2026 to verify the status of nationals reportedly in hospitals or detention.
Growing Pressure
Ukrainian intelligence has warned African citizens against travelling to Russia for military contracts, alleging that recruits are exposed to extreme risk with limited preparation.
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on African governments to investigate recruitment networks accused of luring young people into the conflict with promises of employment and financial stability.
For many affected families, however, confirmation of their relatives’ fate has come too late, with some holding funerals without recovered remains.
The war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in 2022, continues to draw in foreign nationals on both sides amid ongoing hostilities.