Ukrainian military intelligence says it has obtained documents detailing the alleged enlistment of two Nigerians, Hamzat Kolawole and Mbah Udoka, who were reported killed while fighting for Russia in the ongoing war with Ukraine.
According to the intelligence agency, the two men were deployed to the frontline in the Luhansk region, where they were said to have died during a Ukrainian drone strike in late November.
Their bodies were reportedly discovered in the conflict zone, which remains one of the most active theatres of the war.
The agency released images and three documents said to contain personal and contractual information about the Nigerians’ military status.
Two of the documents were written in Russian, while the third contained both Russian and English text.
One document, believed to be a contract signed by Kolawole, listed his date of birth and passport details and stated that his decision to join the Russian army was voluntary.
It also outlined possible consequences for refusing to sign, including detention, deportation and a permanent ban from entering Russia.
The document further indicated that he would be deployed to a stormtrooper unit, a designation typically used for frontline assault formations, and that the contract duration was one year.
Additional documents linked to Udoka appeared to confirm his enlistment as a contract soldier and his deployment to a military unit based in Naro-Fominsk near Moscow, including details of his passport and military identification numbers.
The authenticity of the documents has not been independently verified, but investigations in recent months have highlighted claims that Africans have been lured to Russia with promises of jobs or education before being pushed into military service.
Russian authorities have repeatedly denied recruiting Nigerians for the war, insisting there is no state-backed programme targeting foreign fighters.
Ukrainian officials, however, warned Africans and other foreigners to be cautious about travelling to Russia or accepting job offers, citing the risk of being forced into combat roles.
