Two Nigerian citizens have been confirmed dead in Ukraine after allegedly fighting on the side of Russian forces, according to Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence.
In a report posted on its verified X account, the agency said military intelligence operatives discovered the bodies of Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole, born April 3, 1983, and Mbah Stephen Udoka, born January 7, 1988, in the Luhansk region.
The report stated that both men served in the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division of the Russian armed forces.
According to the agency, the Nigerians signed contracts with the Russian military in the second half of 2025. Kolawole reportedly enlisted on August 29, while Udoka signed his contract on September 28.
“Udoka received no training whatsoever — just five days later, on October 3, he was assigned to the unit and sent to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine,” the report said.
The intelligence body added that no training records were available for Kolawole, but it was “highly likely” he also received no military training. His wife and three children were said to be in Nigeria.
“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 statement said.
Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence also warned foreign nationals against travelling to Russia or taking up work there, alleging that such trips could result in individuals being forced into dangerous combat units.
