Two Nigerians Killed In Ukraine While Fighting For Russia 

‘Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja

DAILY COURIER – Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has reported the discovery of the bodies of two Nigerian citizens in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, where they were serving as contracted fighters in the Russian Armed Forces.

The individuals have been identified as Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole, born April 3, 1983 (aged 42), and Mbah Stephen Udoka, born January 7, 1988 (aged 37 or 38, depending on source reporting). Both men were part of the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (military unit 91701), belonging to the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division of the Russian military.

According to a statement released on February 12, 2026, by Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR, also known as Defence Intelligence of Ukraine), operatives discovered the bodies in the Luhansk Oblast, a territory largely under Russian control since the early stages of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

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The agency stated that both Nigerians signed contracts with the Russian military in the second half of 2025: Kolawole on August 29 and Udoka on September 28. Reports indicate that neither received meaningful military training before deployment. In one case, Udoka was reportedly sent to the front lines just five days after signing his contract, with zero preparation.

The two men were killed in late November 2025 during an attempted assault on Ukrainian positions in the Luhansk region. Ukrainian intelligence described the operation as a “meat assault” or “meat-grinder” tactic—high-casualty infantry charges often used by Russian forces to overwhelm defenses, frequently involving minimally trained recruits, including foreign mercenaries.

Sources emphasize that the pair never engaged in direct firefights; instead, they were eliminated by a Ukrainian drone strike while participating in the assault. This highlights the high-risk, low-preparation nature of such deployments for foreign fighters recruited by Russia.

Kolawole is survived by his wife and three children in Nigeria, according to the intelligence report. Details about Udoka’s family were not immediately specified in public statements.

The revelation comes amid ongoing concerns about Russia’s recruitment of foreign nationals—particularly from Africa, including Nigeria—to bolster its forces in Ukraine, often through promises of high pay, citizenship, or other incentives. Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly documented and publicized such cases to expose what they describe as exploitative practices and the human cost of the conflict.

The discovery was first announced in a February 12, 2026, statement from the HUR, accompanied by photographs purportedly showing the men in military attire and, in one instance, a family image of Kolawole. Major international outlets, including the Associated Press, and Nigerian media have covered the development, confirming the details from Ukrainian sources.

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Neither the Russian Ministry of Defense nor Nigerian authorities have issued immediate public comments on the specific case as of February 13, 2026. The incident adds to the growing tally of identified foreign casualties in the Russia-Ukraine war, underscoring the internationalization of the conflict and the risks faced by recruits drawn into it.

Luhansk, part of Ukraine’s Donbas region, remains one of the most active front lines, with intense fighting characterized by trench warfare, artillery barrages, and drone operations on both sides. The deaths highlight the perilous conditions for lightly trained foreign personnel thrust into such environments.