The Ukrainian soldiers have apprehended a Nigerian man, Kehinde Oluwagbemileke, who was fighting alongside the Russian army amid the lingering war between both countries.
Kehinde was captured by the Freedom of Russia Legion, a unit composed of Russian fighters supporting Ukraine, Ukraine’s “I Want To Live” project confirmed.
According to the project, Oluwagbemileke was caught in the Zaporizhzhia region after serving with Russian forces for 5 months.
The unit revealed that the Nigerian has been residing in Russia since 2021 before he was arrested due to drug-related charges.
The project noted that Kehinde decided to join the Russian military campaign in exchange for a reduced period in jail, a deal he accepted to avoid serving the entirety of his prison sentence under Article 228 of the Russian Criminal Code.
“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 organisation said.
One week ago, the Ukrainian Armed Forces caught another foreign soldier – a Chinese man fighting for the Russian army.
The soldier was eventually identified as 24-year-old Wang Wu.
With AI, the clip shared by Freedom of Russia Legion was transcribed below:
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?
Five months.
Interrogator: Five months? Where is your fam
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 wound).
