Russia has denied allegations that it recruited Nigerian citizens to fight in its ongoing war against Ukraine, following reports that four Nigerians were killed on the battlefield.
The war began in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II.
Last week, DAILY NIGERIAN reported that four Nigerians — Adam Anas, Akinlawon Tunde Quyuum, Abugu Stanley Onyeka and Balogun Ridwan Adisa — were killed while fighting on the frontlines between December 2025 and January 2026.
According to the report, the deceased were allegedly lured to Russia under the pretext of securing “security jobs,” only to be conscripted into military service after undergoing about three weeks of training. Their deaths were reportedly first disclosed in a private WhatsApp group used by African mercenaries.
The report further alleged that the Russian Embassy in Abuja issued the men single-entry tourist visas without biometric capture or full documentation requirements. They were allegedly promised a monthly salary of 200,000 rubles — approximately ₦3.6 million — along with allowances and other benefits.
However, upon arrival in Russia, the Nigerians were reportedly forced to sign military contracts written in Russian, without legal representation or translation. Some accounts also claimed their passports were confiscated, preventing them from leaving.
Responding to the allegations on Tuesday in Abuja, Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyolyshev, denied that the Russian government operates any official recruitment programme targeting Nigerians.
“There is no government-supported programme to recruit Nigerians to fight in Ukraine. If there are illegal organisations or individuals trying to recruit Nigerians by unlawful means, this is not connected with the Russian state,” Podyolyshev said.
He added that Russian authorities would investigate any credible evidence of illegal recruitment.
“If anybody has this information, we are ready to send it to Russian law enforcement authorities so they can investigate those cases,” he stated.
The ambassador also dismissed reports from Western media suggesting Nigerians were deceived into joining the conflict.
“You are receiving information from Western sources. Their main task is to demonise Russia. If you want to know the real situation, you should send journalists to Russia to understand what is really happening,” he said.
While acknowledging that some Nigerians may be present in the conflict zone, Podyolyshev maintained that there is no official Russian policy supporting their recruitment.
“There are such Nigerians, I know, but there is no government-supported programme to recruit them,” he said.
Beyond the controversy, the Russian envoy emphasized the need to strengthen Russia–Nigeria relations. He noted that the last session of the Russia–Nigeria Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation was held about a decade ago.
Podyolyshev also praised Nigeria’s leadership role in ECOWAS and the African Union, citing its past peacekeeping missions in Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
“Nigeria showed readiness to take responsibility for regional stability. Within ECOWAS, Nigeria is the core of the organisation in terms of population, economy and military potential,” he said.
In the energy sector, he disclosed ongoing long-term cooperation projects between both countries, including nuclear energy development.
