Ukraine has announced the discovery of the bodies of two Nigerian nationals who were allegedly fighting for Russia in the ongoing war, raising fresh concerns about the recruitment of foreign fighters into the conflict.
Ukraine’s defence intelligence identified the men as Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole, 42, and Mbah Stephen Udoka, 38. According to the agency, both served in the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of Russia’s 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division.
Nigerians reportedly signed contracts with Russian army in 2025
Ukraine said the two men signed military contracts with Russia in the second half of 2025. Kolawole enlisted on August 29, while Udoka signed his contract on September 28.
Authorities said Udoka received no military training before his deployment. He joined a combat unit on October 3 — just five days after signing his contract — and was sent to Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.
Investigators also found no training records for Kolawole, suggesting he may have been deployed without preparation. His wife and three children remain in Nigeria.
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Both men killed during frontline assault
Ukraine said both Nigerians died in late November during a drone strike while attempting to raid Ukrainian positions in the Luhansk region.
The agency warned foreign nationals against travelling to Russia for work, saying such trips could lead to forced military service.
“A trip to the Russian Federation carries a real risk of being forced into a ‘suicide’ assault unit and ultimately dying on Ukrainian soil,” the statement said.
Reports link recruitment to deceptive job offers
The disclosure follows a CNN investigation which reported that recruiters allegedly lured Africans — including Nigerians, Ghanaians, Kenyans and Ugandans — to Russia with promises of civilian jobs such as security work or driving.
According to the investigation, many of those recruits received little or no training before deployment to combat zones.
However, Russia’s ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyelyshev, denied the existence of any official recruitment programme targeting Africans and distanced the Kremlin from the claims.
Ukraine’s war with Russia began in 2022 and continues to draw foreign nationals into the conflict, either as volunteers or through disputed recruitment channels.
