Ukraine says 2 Nigerians fighting for Russia found dead in Luhansk after drone strike

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The bodies of two Nigerians fighting for Russia have been found in eastern Ukraine, the country’s authorities said Thursday.

Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka both served in the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, according to a statement from the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine.

It said the deceased men signed their contracts with the Russian military in the second half of 2025 — Kolawole on Aug. 29 and Udoka on Sept. 28.

Neither man received any military training. Kolawole is survived by a wife and three children in the West African country.

The bodies were found Luhansk, an area in the Donbas region of the eastern part of Ukraine.

“Both Nigerians were killed in late 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,” the intelligence organization said.

Russia has been accused of recruiting men from other countries to fight in its war against Ukraine under the pretext of offering them dream jobs.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with the conflict contained to mostly eastern and southern parts of Ukraine.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has strained global food and energy markets and displaced millions of Ukrainians whom have had their homes and businesses destroyed.

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