DONETSK, Ukraine — The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has confirmed that the bodies of two more Kenyan citizens recruited by Russia to fight in its war against Ukraine were found near the city of Lyman in Donetsk region.
The deceased are identified as Ombwori Denis Bagaka (born January 30, 1987) and Wahome Simon Gititu (born May 21, 1991).
Their remains were discovered alongside those of Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, another Kenyan killed in the same area.
All three men were reportedly recruited in Qatar through security companies offering high, stable incomes.
Bagaka and Mogesa traveled to a recruitment center in Yaroslavl, Russia, on September 27, 2025, while Gititu joined them a month later on October 28.
❗️DIU reports that the bodies of two more Kenyan citizens who were recruited by the aggressor state of russia to wage a criminal war against Ukraine have been found in the vicinity of the city of Lyman in the Donetsk region.🔗: gur.gov.ua/en/content/z-k…
A key figure in their recruitment, according to Ukrainian intelligence, was Salizhan Uulu Almamet, a Kyrgyz citizen who acted as their representative, signing contracts with the Russian army on behalf of the Kenyans and gaining control over their bank accounts.
After recruitment, the three were sent to the Pogonovo training ground near Voronezh (military unit No. 11097), a site used for accelerated combat training and for “penal battalions” composed of prisoners, deserters, and foreign mercenaries.
Following a short training period, Bagaka, Gititu, and Mogesa were deployed to Donbas to storm the city of Lyman.
According to Ukrainian Defence Intelligence, all three were killed in their first combat mission, with Russian forces providing no support or evacuation.
The Defence Intelligence report describes the treatment of foreign mercenaries in Russia’s occupation army as disposable human resources, sent on “one-way” missions.
Their deaths, it notes, also benefit recruiters and officials who profit from death payments.
The Ukrainian authorities warn foreign citizens against traveling to Russia or working for Russian entities, highlighting the extreme risks of being recruited into combat roles and potentially losing one’s life in the conflict.
This latest incident adds to a growing list of foreign citizens recruited by Russia for its war in Ukraine, highlighting the dangers of mercenary operations and the exploitation of vulnerable recruits.
