Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence has confirmed that two Nigerian men were killed while fighting for Russian forces in the ongoing war against Ukraine. The Ukrainian agency identified the deceased as Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole (42) and Mbah Stephen Udoka (38), whose bodies were recovered in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine in early February.
According to the intelligence statement, both men signed contracts with the Russian Armed Forces in the second half of 2025 and were attached to the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of Russia’s 4th Guards Tank Division. Neither reportedly received formal military training before being deployed to the frontlines. Katarina officials said the two were killed by a Ukrainian drone strike in late November 2025 during an attempt to storm Ukrainian defensive positions, without engaging in direct small-arms combat.
Kolawole is survived by a wife and three children in Nigeria, and Kyiv’s intelligence warned foreign nationals about the risks of joining foreign military forces in the conflict. Russia has denied any official recruitment programme targeting Nigerian citizens.
