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He Took Out a Bank Loan for a Job in Russia—And Was Sent to War in Ukraine
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Ukrainian soldiers near the eastern city of Lyman have captured a Ugandan national who said he was promised civilian work in Moscow but was instead forced into combat after arriving in Russia, according to the 63rd Mechanized Brigade on January 7.
The brigade released video footage of the captured man, detailing what it described as a broader pattern of foreign nationals being recruited under pretenses and deployed to the front lines without documentation.
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According to the brigade, Ukrainian drone operators and infantry units had been encountering armed foreign fighters moving toward their positions since the fall. Many carried no identification, making it impossible to determine their nationality.
That changed shortly before the New Year, when an exhausted and badly frostbitten man ran to a Ukrainian checkpoint near Lyman, unarmed and shouting for help.
“It turned out to be Richard from Uganda,” the brigade said.
“Trying to escape poverty, he bought into Russian promises, took out a massive bank loan to pay for airfare to Russia, but instead of a job in a supermarket, he was given a choice—sign a contract or die from a gunshot to the head.”
“They made him an offer he couldn’t refuse,” the statement added.
The brigade said the man had no documents with him at the time of capture, a detail consistent with previous encounters involving foreign fighters. Ukrainian units say the lack of identification complicates efforts to determine how many such recruits have been deployed or where they originate from.
The video released by the brigade shows the captive calmly recounting his experience after being taken into custody.
Earlier, a South African state radio presenter was charged with recruiting men to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine.
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