Diplomatic Cables Detail Ugandans Killed, Missing, and Trapped Fighting for Russia in Ukraine

Diplomatic correspondence and family petitions filed with Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs detail a recruitment pipeline that has left Ugandan nationals dead, missing, or trapped on the front lines of Russia's war in Ukraine, according to a September 15 report by journalist Kenneth Gachie. The records include cables from Uganda's embassy in Moscow and petitions filed by relatives in Kampala describing citizens who left the country believing they had civilian jobs and ended up in the Russian military instead.

Two Confirmed Deaths

Alex Mutesigensi, born May 25, 1984, and Baker Mwesigwa, born June 22, 1982, are among the confirmed dead. A diplomatic dispatch signed February 2, 2026 by Uganda's Head of Mission in Moscow, Ambassador Moses K. Kizige, states that Russia's Ministry of Defense formally notified Ugandan diplomats by Note Verbale that both men had been killed while, in Russia's own wording, performing tasks in the "Special Military Operation zone."

A Missing Soldier, a Wife Asked for DNA

A separate diplomatic cable describes the disappearance of Kamusiye Benon, born May 23, 1988 and holding Ugandan passport A00958964, whom Russian defense officials have declared missing in action. The cable asked Ugandan authorities to trace his wife, Akampurira Proskovia, in Mutajwara Village, Kiruhura District, and inform her that Russian officials want the family ready to travel to Russia to provide DNA samples for identification, should his body be found.

"Handed Gun Number 26"

Namuli Jennifer filed an urgent petition on July 23, 2026 over her missing husband, Kyoffa William. She said Kyoffa left Uganda at the end of 2025 and was forcibly enlisted into the Russian military; his last message to the family, on February 4, 2026, said he had been handed "gun number 26" and was being marched to the front line in the Donbas region. The family has had no contact with him since and is asking the government to determine his status and repatriate his remains if he has died.

A Broader Pattern

These cases echo a wider pattern described in a petition delivered July 27, 2026 to Bagiire Vincent Wasswa, Permanent Secretary of Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Organized by family coordinator Kato Innocent, the petition says numerous Ugandans who traveled to Russia between December 2024 and December 2025 were lured into military service and deployed directly to combat, and asked the ministry to trace whether missing citizens are alive, held as prisoners of war, or dead. The report attributes the pipeline to trafficking networks that target unemployed youth and former security guards across East Africa with promises of civilian jobs, then confiscate their documents on arrival and route them to Russian military staging grounds. Ugandan military authorities have issued public warnings against joining foreign militaries and intercepted suspected recruitment groups at Entebbe International Airport, but officials acknowledge real limits on repatriating bodies or rescuing citizens from active war zones.

Get Out Safely

Ugandans and other foreign nationals currently serving in Russia's armed forces have an option to safely escape the battlefield with Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. See our FAQ on how to safely surrender to Ukrainian forces.

Source: Citizen Digital