September 3, 2026

A Zimbabwean and Two Colombians Were Killed Fighting for Russia in Donetsk Region.

Ukraine's 66 Brigade, operating in Lyman area in Donetsk region, has published the passports and Russian military ID certificates of three foreign nationals killed in action while fighting in Russia's army: one Zimbabwean and two Colombians. All three were assigned to Russia's 423 regiment, Military Unit 91701.

According to the brigade, the share of foreign nationals in Russian units in their sector is growing - in newly deployed units, it has reached approximately 30%. The brigade noted that most are from African or Latin American countries and were brought into the Russian army through deception.

The brigade published documents found with the bodies of Russia's army foreign servicemen. The documents belonged to the following individuals:

#	Name	Last name	DOB	Country
1	Allen	Redacted	24 July 1980	Zimbabwe
2	Yhan Carlos	Redacted	31 May 2000	Colombia
3	Silvestre	Redacted	4 July 1987	Colombia

The documents published by the brigade, with some parts redacted:

8cfb142a-1963-45de-9e4a-7e0844ce8141.jfif — Foreign passport of the Zimbabwean national named Allen

1dbfbd58-585c-4d05-b2c5-e8a8476a0616.jfif — Russian temporary military ID of the Zimbabwean national named Allen. On the ID the nationality is logged as "African", the civil profession is "welder".

2ffa40f0-41bc-411a-b046-e5116097e8f3.jfif — Foreign passport of the Colombian national Yhan Carlos

40d230c1-a085-44b6-8fe6-0afdf8738249.jfif — Russian temporary military ID of the Colombian national Yhan Carlos. On the ID the civil profession is "mechanic".

04524da4-7a72-4fb0-9364-ffd73d4825dd.jfif — Foreign passport of the Colombian national named Silvestre

Lured, Deployed, Killed

The 66th Brigade's statement describes the men as having been lured into the Russian army through deception - the same mechanism documented across dozens of recruitment cases from Africa and Latin America. The promise is typically a civilian job, a large signing bonus, and a salary. What follows is a military contract, a uniform, and deployment to one of the most active sectors of the front.

What Can Victims Do

Ukraine has established two projects to provide direct assistance to victims of Russian predatory recruitment and their families.

I Want to Live offers foreign nationals serving in Russia's armed forces a safe path saving their lives by surrendering. Ukraine adheres to the Geneva Conventions: prisoners of war receive adequate housing, healthcare, and food, and are entitled to contact with their government's diplomatic representatives. If you were lured into Russia's army - don't hesitate and act now to save your life.

I Want to Find helps families locate relatives serving in Russia's army - establishing whether they are alive and in Ukrainian captivity, recorded as killed in action, or listed as missing by the Russian state. Find recommendations on how to act if your relative was lured into Russia's army here.

Both projects have already helped numerous people. If you or someone dear to you was recruited by Russia’s army, don’t hesitate and reach out.