Kenyan Man Fighting For Russia Killed On The Frontline Of Ukraine

Nairobi, Kenya, November 29, 2025. A young Kenyan man who travelled to Russia little more than a month ago has become the first confirmed Kenyan citizen to die while fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine.

Freelance journalist Ian Wafula reported the death on Friday after Ukrainian authorities shared photographs of the man’s body and his travel documents with him.

The passport shows that the victim entered Russia on October 17, 2025.

Wafula said the man was killed in combat on Thursday in southeastern Ukraine. Because the family may not yet have been informed, the journalist has withheld the victim’s name for the time being.

The case fits a pattern that Kenyan authorities have been warning about for months. Recruiters in Kenya promise well-paid civilian jobs in Russia such as driving or construction work.

Once the men arrive in Moscow, their passports and phones are taken and they are forced to sign military contracts, often written only in Russian. After as little as three days of training they are sent to the front.

Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs now believes more than 200 Kenyan nationals are involved in the war on the Russian side.

Some have been captured by Ukrainian forces, while others remain trapped in Russian military units.

In September, police raided a house near Nairobi and rescued 21 young men who were about to be flown to Russia.

A Russian embassy employee, Mikhail Lyapin, was later arrested on human trafficking charges. President William Ruto has described the recruitment as modern-day slavery and has asked Ukraine to release captured Kenyans who were deceived into fighting.

Ukrainian officials say Russia has turned to Africa, Asia and Latin America to replace heavy battlefield losses.

Thousands of foreign recruits have been sent into combat with little preparation. At least 42 Africans are confirmed to have died fighting for Russia, according to figures released by Moscow.

The death of the latest Kenyan victim has caused anger and sadness across the country. Many Kenyans on social media expressed grief that a citizen died far from home in a war that has nothing to do with Kenya.

Families of other men still stuck in Russia continue to appeal to the government for help in bringing their relatives home.

Kenyan authorities repeated their warning on Friday: citizens should verify any job offer in Russia through official channels before travelling.

What starts as a search for a better life can end on a battlefield thousands of kilometres away.