Africans in Ukrainian POW Camp: "The Battlefield Is No Joke. People Die Left, Right and Centre. And Nobody Really Cares."

BBC Pidgin has published a major investigation from inside a Ukrainian prisoner of war facility in western Ukraine, interviewing African nationals captured while fighting for Russia. The report, published June 8, 2026, by journalist Sammy Awami, offers one of the most direct accounts yet of who Russia's African recruits actually are - and what awaits them.

According to Ukrainian figures, one in eight prisoners of war captured by Ukraine last year came from Africa. Africans now account for over 10% of Russia's estimated 27,000-plus foreign recruits. Officials at the facility confirmed African POWs from 15 different countries are held there.

See also: profiles of prisoners of war detained in Ukraine

Lud Beverly, 28 - Congo-Brazzaville

Lud Beverly sits on a hospital bed, hands bandaged, several fingers missing. He sustained frostbite during combat - he had no gloves when he was captured. "We were walking on foot. It was very cold," he told BBC.

Beverly was sent to Russia seven years ago as a young soldier to study at a naval institute. He later married and had a daughter. Financial difficulties led him to drug dealing and a Russian prison sentence. Instead of serving his sentence, he was offered freedom in exchange for military service.

"To pay for the crime I committed, I decided to serve Russia, and because of that, they sent me," he said. He asked his family and his country - which he described as neutral in the war - to forgive him.

Richard Kanu, 43 - Sierra Leone

Richard Kanu served in the Sierra Leonean army for 17 years, earning $100 a month. He wanted to go to Europe - applied for visas everywhere. Only Russia approved him. Upon arrival in 2024, a job agent offered him a $15,000 signing bonus and $2,000 monthly salary for a one-year contract. He accepted, despite not speaking Russian. He was sent to Rostov-on-Don, approximately 200 km from the front line.

"When I landed in Rostov, I found myself in a military camp" - only then did someone tell him he had signed a contract with the Russian army. He was shocked, but steadied himself with the promise of Russian citizenship after one year.

"After my one year, I will get Russian documents and my money. I will have the opportunity to bring my family to Russia. I will live a normal life in Russia."

He has now been in Ukrainian captivity for two years and at the camp for one year. He does not want to go back to Sierra Leone: "Life in Russia is better than my life in Sierra Leone."

His 19-year-old daughter Elsie, interviewed by BBC in Freetown, agrees. She stood outside the family's corrugated iron structure in the hills of Tengbeh Town. "Coming back to Sierra Leone won't solve any of the issues that sent him there in the first place. I think he has a better chance in Russia - a better chance to make money, to build something, and change our lives."

Evans Kibet and Willy Macharia - Kenya

See also: Evans Kibet POW profile

Kenyan prisoner Evans Kibet, 36, was initially reluctant to speak - but opened up when greeted in Swahili. His composure broke when he heard about families back home worried about reports of people lured to Russia through fake recruitment agencies.

"The battlefield is no joke. People die left, right and centre. And nobody really cares," he said, describing drone strikes leaving scattered bodies and soldiers pushed forward unable or unwilling to go back to help their wounded.

Ghana: the only African country engaging

According to Petro Yatsenko, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters spokesperson Petro Yatsenko denied the accusation, Ghana is currently the only African country whose representatives have visited the POW camps and entered negotiations about returning their citizens. All other African nations have yet to engage formally.

"At the moment, Africans are not involved in these exchanges. They want to be exchanged to Russia because they want to collect their money. But there is no movement from the Russian side to take them back," Yatsenko told BBC.

Duncan Chege - Kenya: the one who got out

Not everyone stays. Duncan Chege, a Kenyan, escaped from a Russian military hospital after faking mental illness. His mother had taken out loans from neighbors and relatives to pay for his agent fee and one-way ticket to Russia. He failed to get work in Dubai due to visa issues and his employment agency suggested Russia instead.

"My mother was willing to see me hustle, so I could help support our family and so we could change our lives."

Ukraine's Foreign Minister

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, interviewed for the report, described African recruits as victims of "illegal Russian activities and propaganda." "Sometimes, they are invited to study in Russia and the next thing they find themselves on the battlefield," he said.

The foreign minister confirmed that foreigners can also fight for the Ukrainian army — but noted that unlike Russia, Ukraine's process is legal, voluntary, and transparent.

Source: BBC

See also: DW Documents How Russia's War Machine Is Destroying Families in Cuba, Kenya and Bangladesh

If you or your relative are being coerced into military service in Russia - do not hesitate and act before it's too late. Ukraine offers a safe way out.