Ukraine confirms deaths of 2 more Kenyans fighting for Russia, fatalities rise to 3

Ukrainian authorities have identified two more Kenyan nationals killed in the Donetsk region while fighting for the Russian military, bringing the confirmed number of Kenyan fatalities in the conflict to three.

The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) reported that the bodies of Ombwori Denis Bagaka and Wahome Simon Gititu were recovered near the city of Lyman.

Their remains were found in the same vicinity as those of Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, whose death was confirmed on January 31, 2026.

According to the DIU communique, the three men were working in Qatar for private security firms before being lured to Russia with promises of high-paying employment.

Bagaka (born January 30, 1987) and Mogesa arrived at a recruitment centre in Yaroslavl, Russia, on September 27, 2025.

Gititu (born May 21, 1991) followed on October 28, 2025.

Intelligence reports name Salizhan Uulu Almamet, a Kyrgyz national, as a key facilitator who signed military contracts on behalf of the Kenyans and took control of their bank accounts.

From Yaroslavl, the recruits were transferred to the Pogonovo training ground near Voronezh, under military unit No. 11097.

The DIU states they were placed in a "penal battalion," a unit typically composed of prisoners, foreign mercenaries, and deserters.

The three Kenyans were deployed to the Donbas region for an assault on Lyman.

Ukrainian officials reported that the men were killed while advancing through a designated 'kill zone.'

The DIU noted that Russian commanders made no attempt to evacuate the bodies of the foreign fighters from the battlefield.

At the time Mogesa’s body was initially discovered, he was found in possession of the passports of Bagaka and Gititu, leading to the subsequent identification of all three men.

This discovery follows reports from Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating that more than 200 Kenyans may have been recruited into the Russian military since the conflict began in 2022.

Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, speaking in Malindi on February 5, 2026, warned job seekers to verify all overseas opportunities through the National Employment Authority (NEA).

He cautioned that some Kenyans are being misled into foreign conflicts after travelling on visitor or tourist visas.

The Ukrainian government has reiterated its warning to foreign nationals against accepting employment in Russia, citing the risk of forced deployment to frontline assault units with minimal training.