05
Jul
Jul
UKRAINIAN FORCES CAPTURE NIGERIAN MERCENARY FIGHTING FOR RUSSIA
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CapitalTimesNews / 1 month
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- 2 min read
Ukrainian forces have apprehended a 29-year-old Nigerian man, Kehinde Oluwagbemileke, who was fighting for the Russian military in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. Oluwagbemileke was captured by the Freedom of Russia Legion, a unit composed of Russian fighters supporting Ukraine, in the Zaporizhzhia region. According to Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” project, Oluwagbemileke had been living in Russia for four years before his arrest on drug-related charges. He allegedly agreed to join Russia’s military campaign in exchange for a reduced sentence instead of serving a prison sentence under Article 228 of the Russian Criminal Code. “Kehinde is one of thousands of mercenaries from third countries recruited by Russia’s Defence Ministry to fight in Ukraine,” the organisation stated. “We’ve already published data on nearly 7,000 foreign fighters from 14 countries, but that’s only a small part of the foreigners the Kremlin has sent to die in Ukraine. All of them are cheap manpower, which is not spared.” During his interrogation, Oluwagbemileke expressed deep regret for joining the Russian army, stating, “Of course, I regret it… It’s broken,” while pointing to his wounds. He also revealed that his family in Nigeria was unaware of his involvement in the war. The Ukrainian forces have been documenting cases of foreign nationals fighting for Russia, including other Africans, such as citizens from Ghana and Cameroon. This development highlights Russia’s ongoing recruitment of foreign prisoners and vulnerable migrants as expendable manpower in its invasion of Ukraine, a strategy that has drawn global condemnation. In a video released by the Freedom of Russia Legion, Oluwagbemileke can be seen being interrogated, where he confirms that he joined the Russian army for “quick liberation” from prison. The Ukrainian interrogator noted that most members of his unit had been killed or wounded, and Oluwagbemileke thanked the Freedom of Russia Legion for saving his life and providing medical care.