Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate has announced that two Nigerian citizens were killed in a drone strike while serving in the Russian military in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine.
In a statement issued on Thursday, February 12, 2026, and titled “Nigerians in a meat assault — the number of identified dead Russian mercenaries from Africa is rising,” the Ukrainian agency identified the deceased as Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole (born April 3, 1983) and Mbah Stephen Udoka (born January 7, 1988).
According to the agency, both men were discovered dead in the Luhansk region during an operation in late November aimed at storming Ukrainian positions.
The statement said the two Nigerians served in the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (military unit 91701) of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
“They signed contracts with the Russian army in the second half of 2025: Kolawole on August 29 and Udoka on September 28,” the agency stated.
Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence alleged that Udoka “received no training whatsoever” and was deployed to occupied Ukrainian territory five days after signing his contract. It added that Kolawole’s training records were missing, though it was “highly likely” that he also did not receive military training.
Kolawole is survived by his wife and three children in Nigeria.
The agency further claimed that the two men were killed in late November during the attempted assault and did not engage in direct combat, stating that they were eliminated by a drone strike.
Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence warned foreign nationals against travelling to Russia or accepting employment there, cautioning that such trips could result in being deployed to front-line operations.
The statement follows earlier denials by Russian authorities of any official involvement in recruiting Nigerians to fight in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
As of press time, there has been no official confirmation from the Nigerian government regarding the identities of the deceased or the circumstances surrounding their reported involvement in the conflict.
