Ukrainian soldiers have captured a Kenyan athlete near Vovchansk, in the Kharkiv region. He says he was tricked into enlisting in Moscow’s forces.
Soldiers from the 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade of Ukraine apprehended Evans Kibet, a 36-year-old Kenyan athlete who was hiding in the forest near the town of Vovchansk, in the Kharkiv region, as reported by Kyiv Post.
Kibet claims that along with three other Kenyans, he traveled to St. Petersburg on a two-week tour but overstayed their visas when their tour guide offered to find them work.
In a video posted on UNIAN's Telegram channel, he said he was handed documents in Russian - a language he did not understand - but was persuaded to sign them. A few days later, his passport and mobile phone were confiscated, and he was taken to a military camp, where he was told to either agree to enlist in the army or be shot.
"I enlisted in the Russian army without knowing I was being recruited. I have never been in the military and never wanted a job in the military field," Kibet said in the video recording.
After just a week of basic training - focused mainly on weapon handling and conducted mostly through sign language, as neither he nor his instructors, nor other foreign recruits shared a common language - the African was sent to the front lines in Ukraine.
Kibet recounted deserting when sent on his first combat mission. He fled into a forest and removed his uniform. After wandering for two days in the woods, he came across a Ukrainian patrol and surrendered.
He said Ukrainian soldiers treated him well, providing him with food and shelter. He pleaded with them not to send him to Russia, fearing he would be killed.
According to Kenyan news sites, Kibet's family was unaware that he had ended up fighting on Moscow's side - his relatives believed he had gone to Russia to participate in a horse race.
Business Insider reported on Monday that the Kenyan government is investigating reports that some of its citizens were forced to serve in Russia's war against Ukraine after the 36-year-old athlete was captured by Ukrainian forces.
Kenya's Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing-Oei, stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs personnel are working through its embassy in Moscow and the Ukrainian ministry to investigate Kibet's claims. He said authorities in Nairobi are "closely monitoring information regarding three or four Kenyans who are believed to have been transferred to Russia and are currently held by Ukraine as prisoners of war."
Human rights organizations had previously warned of the threat faced by foreign visitors and workers who end up in Russia and are deceived into joining the military. The Moscow Times reported in January that Indian authorities demanded the release of over 100 Indian citizens serving in the Russian armed forces on the front line in Ukraine - several of whom were killed.
T.D.