Russia Ignores Nigeria's Demands and Keeps Sending Its Citizens to Die - Another Nigerian Recruit Identified as Killed in Kharkiv Oblast

Ayebusiwa Olabode Victor, born April 28, 1992, a resident of Ilutitun in Ondo State, Nigeria, was killed in combat with Ukraine's Defense Forces near Grafske in Kharkiv Oblast. The identification was published by Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (DIU) on May 28, 2026.

His story follows the pattern documented across dozens of nationalities: deception, promises of easy money, a week of training, deployment to the front, and death shortly after.

What makes this case particularly stark is the timing. Ayebusiwa Olabode Victor signed his contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense at the end of February 2026 - just one week after Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially expressed serious concern on February 15 about cases of illegal recruitment of Nigerian citizens for participation in foreign armed conflicts. That statement itself came three days after Ukraine's DIU reported the cases of two other Nigerian nationals - Hamzat Kazin Kalavolе and Mbahu Steven Udoku - on February 12.

Russia's ambassador to Nigeria, Andrei Podyolishev, cynically denied any Kremlin involvement in illegal recruitment.

Russia's own propaganda describes the scheme

While Russian diplomats deny the practice publicly, Kremlin-aligned propagandist Mikhail Zvynchuk - appearing on Vladimir Solovyov's channel, one of the Kremlin's main mouthpieces - openly described the recruitment scheme on air.

He confirmed that residents of African countries are lured to Russia through job advertisements spread via Facebook and WhatsApp. They are issued visas, purchased one-way tickets, and promised employment. Upon arrival in Moscow they are met by an intermediary who takes their passport - ostensibly for document processing - and installs them in a hostel. Within days it becomes clear there is no job, the visa has been cancelled, and there is no money for a return ticket. The person is then presented with a choice: deportation with debts, imprisonment, or a contract with the Russian occupation army - the contents of which they often cannot read due to the language barrier.

Moscow's diplomacy and its own official propaganda have once again demonstrated total contempt for the positions of African governments, local legislation, and international norms.
At least 215 Nigerian nationals are known to have signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense. At least 25 of them have been killed or are listed as missing. Despite Russian diplomatic denials, the number of Nigerian nationals in Russian occupation forces continues to grow.

StopRussianRecruiters.org reminds all foreign nationals serving in the Russian Armed Forces that there is as an option that guarantees survival. Surrender is possible, it is safe, and it has been chosen by foreign nationals from 48 countries now held as prisoners of war in Ukraine. Every one of them was supposed to die in place of a Russian soldier. They made a different decision. Click here to find out the details. 

Source: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine