Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate has confirmed that two Nigerian citizens, Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole (born 3 April 1983) and Mbah Stephen Udoka (born 7 January 1988), were killed while serving in the Russian military in the Luhansk region.
Both men died in late November during an attempted assault on Ukrainian positions, according to a statement issued by the agency.
The statement, titled “Nigerians in a meat assault the number of identified dead Russian mercenaries from Africa is rising,” revealed that both men were assigned to the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (military unit 91701) of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division of the Russian armed forces. Kolawole signed his contract on August 29, 2025, while Udoka signed on September 28, 2025.
Ukraine’s intelligence report indicates that Udoka received no military training before being deployed to occupied Ukrainian territory just five days after signing his contract. Kolawole’s training records are missing, though it is “highly likely” he also lacked proper preparation. Kolawole leaves behind a wife and three children in Nigeria, highlighting the human cost of these foreign deployments.
“Both Nigerians were eliminated by a drone strike and never engaged in a firefight,” the Ukrainian agency added. It also issued a stark warning to foreign nationals considering work in Russia: “A trip to Russia is a real risk of being forced into a ‘suicide’ assault unit and, ultimately, rotting in Ukrainian soil.”
Reports from media outlets, including CNN, have suggested that some Nigerians and other Africans were recruited under the guise of security or private-sector jobs in Russia before being deployed to the front lines in Ukraine. Videos and eyewitness accounts have surfaced alleging brief, inadequate training and immediate deployment into combat situations.
The Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyolyshev, denied official government involvement, stating: “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 deaths of Kolawole and Udoka underline ongoing concerns about the use of foreign nationals in the Ukraine conflict.
Many are deployed with minimal training, leaving them vulnerable in high-risk operations. Ukrainian authorities continue to highlight the dangers of such recruitment and call on foreign citizens to avoid traveling to Russia for military or security work.
Analysts note that these cases raise broader questions about accountability and the role of mercenary forces in modern conflicts, particularly in regions like Eastern Ukraine where drone strikes and other advanced military tactics are increasingly employed.
Kolawole and Udoka are among several foreign nationals reported killed while serving in Russian military operations in Ukraine, a trend that continues to draw international attention and scrutiny.
Their deaths also illustrate the growing human toll of the conflict beyond the immediate battlefield, affecting families and communities thousands of miles away.
