A Kenyan man captured by Ukrainian forces has claimed he was forced to join the Russian military whilst visiting Russia on holiday, with threats of death if he refused to fight.
The Ukrainian 57th Motorised Infantry Brigade posted a video interview on Facebook showing the man, who identified himself only as Evans, after his capture in Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region. “They told me that then I either go to fight or they would kill me,” Evans said in the footage.
Alleged Deception Over Visa
Evans claimed his ordeal began when his Russian visa expired whilst on holiday in the country. A man who allegedly promised to help with his visa situation offered him work to remain in Russia legally.
“I asked him, ‘What job?’ But he didn’t tell me. In the evening, he came with papers written in Russian,” Evans explained in the video. “I didn’t know it was military work. So he told me to sign here. After I signed, he took my passport and my phone and said he would return them.”
According to Evans, he was then picked up in a private car and taken to a military camp, where he spent just one week before being given a machine gun and sent to the front line.
International Fighters in Russian Ranks
The captured man told Ukrainian forces there were other foreign nationals in his unit, including Belarusians, Tajiks and other Africans. He said he could not understand Russian and that commanders would grab him and scream orders at him.
“Go, go. That’s what they did. They threw me into the forest. And after that, that’s when I ran away from there. I didn’t go to fight, I ran away,” Evans stated.
Two Nights in Forest
After deserting his post, Evans spent two nights hiding in the forest searching for Ukrainian forces, hoping they would save him. He said he feared the Russians would kill him for desertion.
The Ukrainian army announced his capture in Vovchansk, a strategically important town in the Kharkiv region that has seen intense fighting.
Pattern of Foreign Recruitment
Evans’ case appears to be part of a wider pattern of foreign recruitment by Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement on 4 August that the Russian army in the Kharkiv region recruits soldiers from “China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and African countries.
The use of foreign fighters by Russia has been documented throughout the conflict, with reports of recruitment from various countries including Syria, Libya and Central African nations. Some recruits have claimed they were deceived about the nature of their deployment, whilst others were reportedly offered significant financial incentives.
International Implications
The case raises questions about Russia’s recruitment practices and the vulnerability of foreign nationals in the country. Human rights organisations have previously expressed concern about reports of coercion and deception in Russian military recruitment.
The Ukrainian military’s decision to publicise Evans’ case through social media appears aimed at highlighting Russia’s alleged use of forced recruitment and drawing international attention to the practice.
Neither the Russian Defence Ministry nor the Kenyan Embassy in Moscow have commented on Evans’ claims. His current status and what will happen to him whilst in Ukrainian custody remains unclear.
The incident comes as Russia continues to face challenges in maintaining troop numbers for its military operation in Ukraine, with Western intelligence suggesting the country has suffered significant casualties since the conflict began in February 2022.
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