Two Nigerian men, Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka, have been confirmed dead while fighting for Russia in Ukraine’s Luhansk region, Ukrainian Defence Intelligence (UDI) reports. Recruited in 2025 with little to no training, both were killed in a failed Russian assault, highlighting the dangers faced by foreign nationals lured into Moscow’s frontline operations.
According to UDI, Kolawole (born April 3, 1983) and Udoka (born January 7, 1988) were enlisted into the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of Russia’s 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division. Udoka was sent to the frontlines just five days after signing his contract, without any prior military training.
Records of Kolawole’s training are unclear, but he is also believed to have received minimal preparation. Kolawole leaves behind a wife and three children in Nigeria.
The two men were killed in late November during an attempt to storm Ukrainian positions. “They never engaged in a firefight, the mercenaries were eliminated by a drone strike”, UDI stated.
The agency also warned foreign nationals against traveling to Russia for work, citing risks of being forcibly conscripted into combat roles. UDI noted that Russia has frequently deceived African recruits with false job offers, sending them into frontline combat where high casualties are common due to inadequate training.
“This serves as a stark warning to anyone considering joining Russian military operations abroad”, the statement added.
