Ukraine's Defence Intelligence has announced the discovery of the bodies of two Nigerian citizens who were killed while fighting on the side of Russian forces in the Luhansk region.
The deceased have been identified as Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole, 42, and Mbah Stephen Udoka, 38. According to Ukrainian intelligence, both men served in the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces' 4th Guards Tank Division .
Documents recovered at the scene indicate that Kolawole signed a contract with the Russian military on August 29, 2025, while Udoka signed on September 28 of the same year. Ukrainian officials report that Udoka received no military training and was deployed to occupied Ukrainian territories just five days after signing his contract. No training records were found for Kolawole .
Both men were killed in late November during an assault on Ukrainian positions. According to Ukrainian intelligence, they never engaged in direct fire—both were eliminated by a drone strike . Kolawole is survived by his wife and three children in Nigeria.
The Ukrainian intelligence statement warned foreign nationals against traveling to Russia or accepting employment there, stating: "If you go to Russia you have a real chance of ending up in a 'suicide' assault unit and ultimately rotting in Ukrainian soil" .
Russia Denies Official Recruitment Programme
The revelations follow recent denials by Russia's Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyelyshev, who insisted there is no government-backed programme to recruit Nigerians for the war in Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Podyelyshev stated: "There is no government-supported programme to recruit Nigerians to fight in Ukraine. If there are illegal organisations or individuals trying to recruit Nigerians by unlawful means, this is not connected with the Russian state" .
The ambassador also responded to a CNN investigation which alleged that Africans from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda were lured to Russia with promises of civilian jobs—such as drivers or security guards—only to be conscripted and deployed to the frontlines. He described such reports as attempts to "demonise Russia" and called for concrete evidence to be submitted for investigation .
The Ukrainian Defence Intelligence has reiterated its warning to foreign citizens against taking up any employment in Russia, describing travel to the country as a direct path to being forced into combat units.
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