Ukrainian authorities have confirmed that three Kenyan men recruited into Russia’s military have been killed near Lyman in the Donetsk region. The deceased have been identified as Ombwori Denis Bagaka, born January 30, 1987; Wahome Simon Gititu, born May 21, 1991; and Clinton Nyapara Mogesa.
The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said the three were recruited while working in Qatar, drawn by offers of high-paying and stable jobs. “All three Kenyans — Bagaka, Gititu, and Mogesa — were lured into Russia's war against Ukraine in Qatar,” the statement said.
Bagaka and Mogesa arrived at a Russian recruitment centre in Yaroslavl on September 27, 2025, while Gititu joined them a month later on October 28.
Kyrgyz national Salizhan Uulu Almamet reportedly acted as their representative, signing contracts on their behalf with the Russian occupation army and taking control of their bank accounts.
The recruits were then sent to Pogonovo, near Voronezh, military unit No. 11097, a facility used for accelerated combat training. The Defence Intelligence described the base as housing a “penal battalion,” where prisoners, captured deserters, chronic alcoholics, drug addicts, and foreign mercenaries are assigned to risky missions.
Bagaka, Gititu, and Mogesa were placed in this battalion and deployed to Donbas to take part in an assault on Lyman. While attempting to move through what Ukrainian forces called a “kill zone,” all three were killed.
“The first battle became the last for the Kenyans,” the agency said, adding that Russian leaders “did not take any measures to support or evacuate the mercenaries from the battlefield.”
Ukrainian authorities said this case highlights how foreign recruits are treated as disposable in Russia’s military. “For Moscow, they're just cheap human resources that can be burned with impunity during the bloody assaults of its criminal war against Ukraine,” the statement said. The Defence Intelligence also noted that the quick deaths of recruits create opportunities for recruiters and “businessmen” in uniform to divide “coffin” payments.
The agency warned foreign citizens against travelling to Russia for work, saying such journeys carry “a real chance to end up in a suicide squad and, ultimately, to rot in Ukrainian soil.” Ukrainian authorities continue documenting cases of foreigners being recruited into the Russian occupation army.
