Ukraine: 27 Ugandans recruited by Russia dead or missing
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Sowetan
Twenty-seven Ugandans recruited to fight in the Russian army in Ukraine are dead or presumed dead, including eleven confirmed deaths and sixteen missing people. Uganda’s embassy in Moscow sent the information to the Foreign Ministry, which confirmed its authenticity, Reuters reports.
Twenty-seven Ugandans recruited to fight alongside the Russian army in Ukraine are dead or presumed dead, according to a letter from Uganda’s embassy in Moscow addressed to the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and seen by Reuters. The document lists eleven confirmed deaths and sixteen people whose remains have not been found, including among prisoners of war.
The embassy obtained this information from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through a note verbale, a diplomatic communication. An official from Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the authenticity of the letter. Russia’s embassy in Kampala did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Men from Africa are reportedly regularly lured to Russia with promises of employment before being sent to the Ukrainian front. Ukraine said in 2025 that more than 1,400 nationals from around three dozen African countries were fighting alongside Russian forces, some after being deceived. Moscow denies illegally recruiting African citizens, Reuters reports.
