The Ukrainian Defence Intelligence (UDI) has confirmed the de.aths of two Nigerian men – Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka – who were k!lled while fighting as mercenaries for Russia
The revelation comes amid repeated Russian denials that Nigerians are being recruited to fight in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters in Abuja, Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyolyshev, said he was unaware of any government-backed programme to recruit Nigerians and added that any such activity, if it exists, is not linked to the Russian state.
However, on Thursday, UDI released photographs of the two Nigerians who were reportedly k!lled while serving Russian forces.
“In the Luhansk region, military intelligence operatives discovered the bodies of two citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria — Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole (03.04.1983) and Mbah Stephen Udoka (07.01.1988),” the statement said.
According to UDI, both men were part of the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (unit 91701) of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division of the Russian Armed Forces. Kolawole signed a contract with the Russian army on August 29, 2025, while Udoka joined on September 28, 2025.
Udoka reportedly received no formal military training and was deployed to occupied Ukrainian territory just five days later. No training records exist for Kolawole, but it is believed he also had minimal or no military preparation. UDI noted that Kolawole leaves behind a wife and three children in Nigeria.
Both men were k!lled in late November during an assault on Ukrainian positions in Luhansk. “They never engaged in a firefight — the mercenaries were eliminated by a drone strike,” UDI stated, warning foreign nationals against traveling to Russia or accepting work there.
“A trip to Russia carries the real risk of being forced into su!cide assault missions and ending up dead on Ukrainian soil,” the agency said.
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