By Afrireport 
The bodies of two Kenyan citizens reported to have been recruited by Russia to fight in its war against Ukraine have been recovered by Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donetsk region, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) has said.
The deceased have been identified as Ombwori Denis Bagaka (born January 30, 1987) and Wahome Simon Gititu (born May 21, 1991).
Their remains were found near those of another Kenyan, Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, whose body was earlier recovered in the vicinity of the city of Lyman a key battleground in recent fighting.
According to the Ukrainian intelligence statement, all three men were recruited while working in Qatar, where they had been employed by private security companies promising high and stable incomes.
They later travelled separately to a recruitment centre in Yaroslavl, Russia, where intermediaries completed paperwork and logistical arrangements on their behalf and signed them up for military contracts.
After a brief period of training at a Russian military facility reportedly with limited instruction the group was dispatched to the Donbas frontlines and ordered to participate in an assault on Lyman.
Ukrainian forces say the Kenyans were killed as they advanced through what has been described as a kill zone with no evacuation or support provided by Russian commanders.
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The DIU’s disclosure underscores concerns about how foreign nationals are being used by Russian forces, often in high risk operations with little protection or support.
In its statement, the agency asserted that Moscow treats recruits as expendable human resources, exposing them to deadly frontline missions with scant regard for survival.
The discovery comes as fears grow in Kenya over the fate of other citizens believed to have travelled abroad under similar recruitment schemes.
Some families have already staged symbolic burials for relatives who remain unaccounted for and are believed to be in conflict zones, with little official information available from authorities.
Recent government warnings have urged Kenyans to be cautious about overseas job offers, particularly those that lack legitimate documentation or verifiable credentials.
Officials have linked some recruitment networks to human trafficking operations that exploit economic hardship and the promise of lucrative work abroad.
Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary and other senior officials have also raised alarms about recruitment practices that lure citizens towards Russia, sometimes misleading them about the nature of the work involved.
Diplomatic efforts to address these issues and protect citizens caught up in the conflict have been ongoing.
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine began with Russia’s full scale invasion in February 2022 and despite intermittent negotiations, intense fighting continues across multiple fronts, with high casualties on both sides and involvement of foreign fighters from various countries.
