Ukrainian forces have captured a Nigerian national, Kehinde Oluwagbemileke, who was fighting on behalf of the Russian military in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Oluwagbemileke, 29, was apprehended in the Zaporizhzhia region by the Freedom of Russia Legion—a unit of anti-Putin Russian fighters aligned with Ukraine—according to the Ukrainian-run initiative I Want to Live.
Reports indicate that Kehinde had lived in Russia for four years before being arrested on drug-related charges.
To avoid serving a prison sentence under Article 228 of the Russian Criminal Code, he allegedly agreed to enlist in the Russian Army in exchange for a reduced sentence.
“He is one of thousands of foreign mercenaries recruited by Russia’s Ministry of Defence to fight in Ukraine,” the I Want to Live project said. “We’ve identified nearly 7,000 foreign fighters from 14 countries, though that’s only a fraction of those the Kremlin has sent to the front lines.
These individuals are treated as expendable.”
Kehinde served in the Russian military for five months before his capture.
In a video released by the legion and transcribed by The Guardian using AI, he admitted to joining the war to gain his freedom from prison.
During his interrogation, Kehinde revealed that he previously worked as a translator, assisting non-Russian speakers—mostly other foreign nationals from Africa, South America, and China.
He stated that there were at least five African fighters in his group, hailing from Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon.
When asked whether his family knew he had joined the war, he replied, “No,” and expressed deep regret over his decision.
“I was in prison,” he said. “Then they freed me… I’ve been in the Army for five months.
I regret going. It’s… broken,” he added, referring to his injuries.
Medical personnel attending to him confirmed he was receiving treatment for his wounds. “I’m very grateful to the Freedom of Russia Legion for saving my life and providing assistance,” Kehinde said.
Just a week earlier, Ukrainian forces captured another foreign fighter—a 24-year-old Chinese citizen identified as Wang Wu—also fighting for Russia.