Ukrainian authorities have confirmed the deaths of two Nigerian nationals who were serving in the Russian army during combat operations in eastern Ukraine.
According to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine (UDI), the bodies of Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole (born April 3, 1983) and Mbah Stephen Udoka (born January 7, 1988) were discovered in the Luhansk region following a drone strike. Both men were identified as members of the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (military unit 91701) of Russia’s 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division.
Ukrainian intelligence noted that the Nigerians had joined the Russian army in mid-to-late 2025 after signing contracts, but were deployed to the front lines with little or no formal military training.
“In the Luhansk region, military intelligence operatives discovered the bodies of two citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria — Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka,” the UDI statement read. “They were recruited as mercenaries and sent into assault operations with minimal preparation.”