The Ukrainian government says it has identified two Nigerian nationals who died while fighting for Russia in the ongoing war between the two countries.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Ukraine’s Military Intelligence said the bodies of the Nigerians, identified as Hamzat Kolawole and Mbah Udoka, were recovered in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine.
According to the statement, both men joined the Russian army between mid and late 2025 after signing military contracts. However, neither allegedly received formal military training before being deployed to the front lines.
“Udoka received no training whatsoever — just five days later, on October 3, he was assigned to the 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. His wife and three children remain in Nigeria,” the statement said.
Ukraine’s intelligence agency added that the two men died in November during an attempt to storm Ukrainian positions in the Luhansk region.
“They never engaged in a firefight — the mercenaries were eliminated by a drone strike,” it said.
Since 2025, reports have emerged of Nigerians and other African nationals allegedly being recruited to fight for Russian forces.
A report by The New York Times estimated that nearly two million Russian and Ukrainian troops have died over the course of the war, which has lasted almost four years.
Investigations by CNN have also documented cases of young Africans from countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda allegedly lured to Russia with promises of jobs and higher wages, only to later find themselves deployed to combat zones.
Similarly, an investigation by Punch published last month reported that some Nigerians were pressured into signing military contracts upon arrival in Russia, without proper translation or legal guidance.
Other investigations have highlighted cases involving African girls who were allegedly lured to Russia and later subjected to exploitation.
Last year, a collaborative investigation by ZAM examined recruitment efforts linked to Alabuga Start, a Russian state-backed initiative advertised as offering fully funded two-year scholarships and training opportunities.
The investigation found that the programme used official-looking materials to present itself as legitimate and, in Nigeria, allegedly engaged unlicensed recruitment agents to target young women, particularly those from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
