A Nigerian man recruited into Russia’s military was killed fighting in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) said on Thursday, as Moscow continues to face accusations of deceiving African citizens into joining its war.
According to HUR, Ayebusiwa Olabode Victor became the latest Nigerian national killed while serving in the Russian military after allegedly being lured to Russia with promises of employment.
His death was “not an isolated case, but part of a systematic practice” used by Russian recruiters targeting citizens of African countries, HUR said.
The agency said the scheme often begins with offers of work opportunities in Russia before recruits arrive, have their documents confiscated, are forced to sign military contracts and are eventually sent to the front line.
“For dozens and hundreds of Nigerian citizens, promises of employment in Russia turn into a one-way ticket,” HUR said in a statement.
The intelligence agency said Russia’s recruitment network actively targets African citizens through job advertisements posted on Facebook and WhatsApp. According to the agency, potential recruits are promised legal employment in Russia, issued visas and flown to the country, often on what later becomes a “one-way ticket.”
After arriving in Moscow, recruiters allegedly confiscate the recruits’ passports under the pretext of processing documents, while victims are housed in hostels for several days awaiting their supposed jobs, HUR said.
Many recruits later discover there are no vacancies, their visas have been canceled and they are left without money or legal status. According to HUR, some are threatened with imprisonment or deportation before being pressured into signing Russian military contracts they often do not understand because of the language barrier.
“After short training lasting about a week, they are simply sent to the front,” HUR said.
Ukrainian intelligence accused Russian authorities of publicly denying the recruitment of foreign mercenaries while ignoring official demands from Nigeria to stop enlisting its citizens into the war.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, more than 215 Nigerian citizens are currently believed to be serving in the Russian armed forces, while at least 25 have either been killed or are considered missing in action.
HUR said the number of African recruits continues to grow despite official statements from Russian diplomats, accusing Moscow of ignoring the positions of African governments and international law while using diplomatic outreach in Africa as cover for recruitment operations.
HUR urged foreign nationals fighting for Russia to surrender through Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” [Hochu Zhit] project, saying voluntary surrender remains “the only real chance of survival” for both foreign mercenaries and Russian soldiers participating in what it described as “Russia’s criminal war against Ukraine.”
“Hochu Zhit” is a Ukrainian state project launched in 2022 by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War with support from Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence and other agencies. The initiative was originally created as a hotline and information platform allowing Russian soldiers to voluntarily surrender to Ukrainian forces.
Over time, the project expanded to document foreign nationals fighting for Russia, publish data about recruitment schemes and provide information to families searching for missing or captured recruits.