Ukrainian authorities have identified another Nigerian citizen allegedly killed while fighting on the side of Russia in the ongoing war. The deceased, Ayebusiwa Olabode Victor, was born on April 28, 1992, and hailed from Ilutitun in Ondo State, Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Ukraine's Defence Intelligence confirmed that Victor was killed in the Kharkiv region near the settlement of Hrafske while serving as a mercenary for Russian forces. The agency also released what it described as the front page of the Nigerian's passport as part of the disclosure.
According to the statement, Victor signed a mercenary contract in late February 2026, barely one week after Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned citizens against illegal recruitment into foreign armed conflicts. Ukraine further alleged that before Victor's death, the bodies of two other Nigerians fighting on the Russian side were previously discovered in the Luhansk region.
Russia has repeatedly denied allegations of covertly recruiting Nigerians and other Africans for the war, calling them unfounded. However, Ukraine's Defence Intelligence statement claims that pro-war propagandists in Russia have described the recruitment scheme. Mikhail Zvinchuk, a pro-war propagandist associated with the Russian Ministry of Defense, publicly discussed the recruitment process on a channel of Vladimir Solovyov, a Kremlin propagandist.
The statement alleges that African residents are lured to Russia through fake job advertisements on Facebook and WhatsApp. Victims are issued visas, provided one-way tickets, and promised employment. Upon arrival in Moscow, an intermediary confiscates their passports under the pretext of processing documents and places them in hostels. Within days, they discover no job exists, their visas have been canceled, and they lack funds to return home. They are then given a choice: deportation with debt, imprisonment, or signing a contract with the occupation army, often without understanding the terms due to language barriers.
According to Ukrainian authorities, at least 215 Nigerians have signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence, with no fewer than 25 killed or considered missing in action.
