Russia denies recruiting Nigerians to fight in war with Ukraine

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Russian government has dismissed reports that it is hiring Nigerians to participate as soldiers in the ongoing war with Ukraine.

Russia began a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The offensive led to the occupation of several Ukrainian territories and marked the most significant conflict in Europe since the Second World War.

Recent media reports alleged that four Nigerians — Adam Anas, Akinlawon Tunde Quyuum, Abugu Stanley Onyeka and Balogun Ridwan Adisa — lost their lives while fighting on the frontlines. The report stated that the men were lured with promises of a “security job” but were later drafted into the war after only three weeks of training.

According to the publication, the deaths occurred on different dates between December 2025 and January 2026. It also claimed that news of their deaths first surfaced in a private WhatsApp group reportedly created by African mercenaries.

Further allegations suggested that the Russian Embassy in Abuja issued the recruits single-entry tourist visas without biometric capture or full application procedures. The men were allegedly promised a monthly salary of 200,000 rubles, estimated at about ₦3.6 million, alongside allowances and other benefits.

The report added that upon arrival in Russia, the Nigerians were forced into military service. They were said to have received minimal training before deployment to combat zones. It also alleged that they signed military contracts written in Russian without legal guidance or translation. Some claims indicated that their passports were seized, which made escape difficult.

Russia has rejected these allegations. Authorities insisted there is no state-sponsored programme aimed at recruiting Nigerians or any other foreigners to fight in Ukraine.

The Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyolyshev, addressed the issue on Tuesday in Abuja. He responded directly to the circulating reports.

“There is no government-supported programme to recruit Nigerians to fight in Ukraine. If there are illegal organisations or individuals trying to recruit Nigerians by unlawful means, this is not connected with the Russian state.”

“If anybody has this information, we are ready to send it to Russian law enforcement authorities so they can investigate those cases,” he said.

The ambassador also reacted to reports from Western media that Nigerians were deceived into joining the war.

“You are receiving information from Western sources. Their main task is to demonise Russia. If you want to know the real situation, you should send journalists to Russia to understand what is really happening,” the Ambassador said.

While he acknowledged that Nigerians may be present within the conflict environment, he maintained that the Russian government has no official recruitment policy targeting them.

“There are such Nigerians, I know, but there is no government-supported programme to recruit them. If there are agencies, including Russian agencies, violating Russian law, we are ready to transmit this information to our law enforcement authorities,” he said.

Podyolyshev also spoke about bilateral relations. He called for stronger economic cooperation between Russia and Nigeria. He noted that the last meeting of the Russia–Nigeria Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation took place about a decade ago.

He further highlighted Nigeria’s strategic role in Africa. He referenced the country’s peacekeeping missions in Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.

“Nigeria showed readiness to take responsibility for regional stability. Within ECOWAS, Nigeria is the core of the organisation in terms of population, economy and military potential,” he said.

On energy collaboration, the ambassador disclosed that both nations are discussing long-term partnerships. He said this includes projects in the nuclear energy sector.