Ukraine says it has discovered the bodies of two Nigerians in its Luhansk region who were allegedly fighting on Russia’s side in the ongoing four-year war.
In a statement on Thursday, Ukraine said military intelligence operatives made the discovery, identifying the two Nigerians as Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole, 42, and Mbah Stephen Udoka, 38.
“Both served in the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (military unit 91701) of the 4th guards kantemirovskaya tank division of the armed forces of the russian federation,” the Ukraine’s defence intelligence said.
According to the statement, Kolawole and Udoka signed contracts with the Russian Army in the second half of 2025– Kolawole on August 29 and Udoka on September 28.
Udoka was reportedly without any training prior to his posting on October 3, five days after his contract signing.
He was allegedly assigned to a unit and sent to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
“No training records for Kolawole have been preserved; however, it is highly likely that he also received no military training,” the statement added.
“His wife and three children remain in Nigeria.”
The statement noted that both Nigerians were killed in late November by a drone strike during an attempt to raid Ukrainian positions in the Luhansk region.
“Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence warns foreign citizens against travelling to the russian federation or taking up any work on the territory of the aggressor state,” Ukraine’s defence intelligence said.
It warned that a trip to Russia is a “real risk of being forced into a ‘suicide’ assault unit and, ultimately, rotting in Ukrainian soil”.
Last week, a CNN investigation disclosed how Africans from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda were reportedly lured to Russia under the guise of civilian job offers such as drivers or security guards.
But when they landed in Russia, they were allegedly forced into the military and given little training before being deployed to the frontline.
On Tuesday, Andrey Podyelyshev, the Russian ambassador to Nigeria, dismissed the reports and distanced the Kremlin from the alleged recruitment programmes.
