A Kenyan mercenary fighting for Russia was killed in the Kharkiv region — Main Intelligence Directorate

A Kenyan citizen, Nyambura Eric Mwangi, who was fighting on the Russian side, was killed near the village of Borova in the Kharkiv region. This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate.

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported this on Facebook.

Russian troops once again sent foreign mercenaries on a suicide mission—this time a group of Kenyan citizens. One of them was identified by the "I Want to Live" project.

Among those killed was Kenyan citizen Nyambura Eric Mwangi, born in 2003.

Along with three other Kenyans—Wanjiru Joseph Kamau, Karithi Joel Ngure, and Kibet Ronald Kipkurui—he arrived in Yaroslavl, Russia, on October 23–24, 2025.

As the Main Intelligence Directorate noted, other Kenyan casualties, about whom intelligence reported on February 6—Ombwori Denis Bagaku and Wahome Simon Gititu—also arrived during this same period.

There, they signed contracts and were sent to a training center, where they underwent training for only a week and a half. After that, Mwangi was assigned the position of radio operator and sent to the front.

However, he did not serve in that capacity—he was transferred to an assault unit. At the beginning of the year, he was involved in assault operations in the Borova area.

According to preliminary data, Mwangi was killed by a Ukrainian mortar strike while attempting to cross a kill zone.

Despite agreements reached by the Kremlin with certain African countries to stop recruiting their citizens, this process continues—the personal data of 2,965 citizens of African countries who have signed contracts with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation has been identified.

The top ten countries of origin for mercenaries include: Kenya, Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Algeria, Mali, South Sudan, and South Africa.

As of August 2025, the deaths of at least 316 African mercenaries have been confirmed. Actual losses are likely to be significantly higher.

The Main Intelligence Directorate warns foreign citizens against traveling to the Russian Federation and against any work on the territory of the aggressor state. A trip to Russia is a real chance of ending up in a “suicide” assault unit and dying.

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