By our reporter 17.9.2025
A man who claims to be a Kenyan athlete has begged for his life from Ukrainian soldiers after he was capture fighting for Russia in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine.
The man who identified himself simply as Evans was captured near the town of Vovchansk, the 57th Motorized Infantry Brigade reported on Sept. 17.
He told his interrogators that he was deceived into the joining the Russian army.
“I ended up in Russia without knowing that I had been enlisted in the Russian army. I had never served before,” Evans said in a video released by the brigade. “I didn’t go to Russia for that.”
According to Evans, the man who hosted him in Russia offered him a “job” and gave him documents to sign, which turned out to be a military contract.
“After I signed, he took my passport and phone, saying he would return them. From that moment on, other people came for me. They told me to get in the car,” he added.
After just a week of basic training, he was sent to a military camp, where Evans described chaotic conditions, with orders shouted while soldiers were grabbed by their clothes.
“I had no idea what I was signing. I was later told that I had no other options, since I had already signed the contract.
“They give me riffle, they call it ‘avtomat ’, this is the only thing they gave to me,” he recounted.
Evans escaped on his first combat mission in the north of the Kharkiv region; he wandered through the forest for two days before surrendering to Ukrainian forces.
During interrogation, Evans pleaded not to be sent back to the Russian forces, saying he wouldn’t survive there.
“Don’t send me back. I will die there,” Evans pleaded.
In July a Nigeria Oluwagbemileke Kehinde who had come to Russia for education before being recruited into the Russian military war.
“I’m lucky to be alive,” he said in a video released by Ukrainian military intelligence, speaking with a mixture of exhaustion and disbelief.
Evans forced to fight for Russian against Ukraine.