Ukrainian Defence Intelligence (UDI) has confirmed the deaths of two Nigerian nationals Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka who were killed while fighting as Russian mercenaries in the Luhansk region.
In a statement released on Thursday, the agency released photographs showing the men in military attire, alongside a family image. “In the Luhansk region, military intelligence operatives discovered the bodies of two citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole (03.04.1983) and Mbah Stephen Udoka (07.01.1988),” the agency said.
Both men enlisted with the Russian military in the latter half of 2025, signing contracts with the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division.
Udoka reportedly received no military training and was deployed to Ukraine just five days after signing his contract. Kolawole’s training records were not preserved, but authorities believe he also lacked any prior military preparation.
The two were killed in late November during an attempt to storm Ukrainian positions. According to UDI, they “never engaged in a firefight” and were eliminated in a drone strike. Kolawole is survived by his wife and three children in Nigeria.
The agency used the incident to issue a stark warning to foreign nationals: “Travelling to Russia carries the risk of being forced into dangerous combat units, potentially ending up dead on Ukrainian soil.”
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