During the battle at the front, Ukrainian units destroyed a group of mercenaries from Kenya who were fighting on the side of Russia.
This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate (known as GUR) of the Ministry of Defense.
One of the mercenaries who the Russians sent to storm the city was identified through the “I Want to Live” project. He turned out to be a Kenyan named Nyambura Eric Mwangi, born in 2003. He arrived in Yaroslavl on October 23-24, 2025, along with other Kenyan citizens: Wanjir Joseph Kamau, Karithi Joel Ngure, and Kibet Ronald Kipkurui.
It was at that time that other Kenyans arrived in the city — Ombwori Denis Bagaku and Wahome Simon Gitittu, who had been liquidated back in February. Then the mercenaries signed contracts in Yaroslavl and went to the training center. There they underwent training for a week and a half. Mwangi then received the position of radio operator, and he was sent to the front.
However, he was later transferred to the attack aircraft, and in early 2026 was sent to the area of the settlement of Borova in the Kharkiv region. According to preliminary data, the Kenyan died as a result of a mortar attack when he tried to pass through the checkpoint.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, despite the agreement between Russia and African countries that the Kremlin would not recruit their citizens, the data of 2 965 mercenaries who nevertheless signed contracts with the Russian Armed Forces have been established. The largest number of mercenaries in the Russian army comes from countries such as Kenya, Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Algeria, Mali, South Sudan, and the Republic of South Africa.
As of August 2025, the deaths of at least 316 residents of African countries who fought on the side of the Russian Federation have been confirmed.
Russian mercenaries from other countries
According to the latest data from the Coordination Headquarters, the Russians have recruited 27 407 foreigners from 135 countries for the war against Ukraine. So far, 10 000 living and dead mercenaries have been identified, and hundreds more are in Ukrainian captivity. Ukrainian troops capture from one to three foreign mercenaries every week.
Currently, there are established facts of recruitment of citizens of Nepal and Somalia into the Russian army. The Russian Federation also recruited illegal migrants from the Finnish border into its army, who were trying to get to the EU through Russia. Some citizens of Nepal and India are already in captivity or have died. There are also videos on social networks with Africans as part of the Russian occupation forces in Ukraine.
The Kremlin also cooperates with the North Korean army, whose soldiers were involved in fighting in the Kursk region. In addition, in September 2023, a scheme to recruit mercenaries for the war against Ukraine was exposed in Cuba.
At the end of October 2025, it became known that the Russian Federation was recruiting people in the Balkan Peninsula to fight in the Russian army, promising payments, citizenship, and benefits.
Mercenaries from South Africa were also sent to fight against Ukraine. In late 2025, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma resigned from her parliamentary mandate: she was accused of deceiving 18 men into going as mercenaries to fight for Russia in Ukraine.
In January 2026, another scheme to recruit foreigners became known — the Russians lured Bangladeshi citizens into supposedly civilian vacancies, and then sent them to fight against Ukraine.
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