Nigerian man fighting for Russian Army captured by Ukrainian forces

Ukrainian military forces have captured a Nigerian man, Kehinde Oluwagbemileke, who had been serving in the Russian army amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

According to Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” initiative, the 29-year-old was captured by the Freedom of Russia Legion—a unit made up of Russian nationals siding with Ukraine.

Oluwagbemileke was taken into custody in the Zaporizhzhia region after spending five months fighting for the Russian side.

Before joining the military, he had reportedly spent four years living in Russia. During that time, he was arrested on drug-related charges and was serving time under Article 228 of the Russian Criminal Code. As part of a deal to reduce his sentence, he agreed to enlist in the Russian military.

“Kehinde is one of thousands of mercenaries from third countries recruited by Russia’s Defence Ministry to fight in Ukraine.

“We’ve already published data on nearly 7,000 foreign fighters from 14 countries, but that’s only a small part of the foreigners the Kremlin has sent to die in Ukraine. All of them are cheap manpower, which is not spared,” the Ukrainian project revealed.

In a recent similar incident, Ukrainian forces detained another foreign soldier, a 24-year-old Chinese national named Wang Wu, who was also fighting for the Russian army.

A video released by the Freedom of Russia Legion featured a conversation with Oluwagbemileke, transcribed with the help of artificial intelligence by The Guardian. The exchange gives insight into his background and motivations:

Interviewer: Our stormtroopers have returned from a mission with an unusual trophy—Kehinde Oluwagbemileke. Apparently, due to a shortage of cannon fodder, Putin’s commanders are luring foreigners by deception to “defend the Motherland” in far-off Ukraine.

Interrogator: What is your passport?

Kehinde: Russian.

Interrogator: Russian passport?

Kehinde: Yes, Russian passport.

Interrogator: What did you do before?

Kehinde: Before?

Interrogator: Before joining the SVO. You joined the SVO?

Kehinde: Yes.

Interrogator: Why did you go to war?

Kehinde: For quick liberation.

Interrogator: Were you in prison?

Kehinde: Yes, in prison.

Interrogator: And then they freed you?

Kehinde: Yes.

Interrogator: How long have you been in the Army?

Kehinde: Five months.

Interrogator: Five months? Where is your family?

Kehinde: In Nigeria.

Interrogator: In Nigeria? Does your family know you went to war?

Kehinde: No.

Interrogator: They don’t know? Do you regret it?

Kehinde: Of course.

Interrogator: Do you regret going?

Kehinde: Of course. It’s… broken. (points to wounds)

Interrogator: Broken. Most of them are 200s.

Kehinde: Yes, yes.

Interrogator: How many 200s do you have? How many from your unit are alive? How many died?

Kehinde: Well, we were four. We went. One 200, the rest 300.

Interrogator: One 200, the rest 300. Lucky to be alive.

Kehinde: Lucky I’m alive.

Interrogator: You are lucky, yes. What did you do before that?

Kehinde: Translator.

Interrogator: Translator?

Kehinde: Yes. English to Russian.

Interrogator: Who did you translate for?

Kehinde: For those who don’t speak Russian.

Interrogator: In Russia?

Kehinde: Yes. There are people from South America, Africans, and Chinese.

Interrogator: Many Chinese?

Kehinde: Well, there were five or six of them there.

Interrogator: And Africans?

Kehinde: Africans, four people. With me, five—Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon.

Interrogator: Did you come to study? Why Russia? You had nowhere else to go?

Kehinde: An adventure.

Interrogator: An adventure?

Medic: We’re going to inject you. This is an antibiotic, so your wounds don’t fester. Don’t flinch.

Kehinde: Oh. You’re so delicate everywhere. That’s good.

Medic: This is for the wounds.

Kehinde: Thank you. Thank you again. I am very grateful to the Freedom of Russia Legion for saving my life and providing assistance, as you can see. And thank you. Thank you again.