By Muhammad Mamman
Security Service of Ukraine says two Nigerian nationals were killed in a drone strike in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk region while serving in Russian military positions.
In a statement released on Thursday, Ukrainian intelligence said the men were operating alongside Russian forces when their location was targeted by Ukrainian drones. The agency added that preliminary findings suggest the Nigerians had been recruited to support Moscow’s war effort, though it did not disclose how or when they entered the conflict zone.
The development highlights the growing presence of foreign nationals on both sides of the war, as Kyiv accuses Moscow of increasingly relying on overseas fighters to bolster its depleted ranks.
Ukrainian officials said investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the Nigerians’ deployment and whether organised recruitment networks were involved.
Neither Russian authorities nor officials in Nigeria have publicly commented on the incident.
The war, now in its third year, continues to draw in foreign actors and mercenaries, raising fresh concerns about the internationalisation of the conflict and the risks faced by civilians and non-combatants caught in its orbit.
