Kenyan national killed while serving Russian forces in Donetsk

Russian operators practice shooting a Fagot portable anti-tank missile system (ATGM) under the supervision of an instructor during professional training sessions, on January 4, 2026. [AFP]

Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, a Kenyan citizen born in 1997, has been confirmed dead while serving with Russian forces in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian Defence Intelligence has reported.

Mogesa had been living and working in Qatar before signing a contract with the Russian military and being assigned to one of its assault units. He was killed shortly after completing his initial training.

“At one of the positions of Russian occupation forces, our intelligence identified the body of Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, a citizen of the Republic of Kenya,” the Ukrainian Defence Intelligence statement read.

According to the Intelligence, Mogesa was found carrying passports belonging to two other Kenyan nationals, indications, they say, could be a potential recruitment of other foreign citizens under similar circumstances.

Ukrainian Defence Intelligence now warns foreign citizens against traveling to Russia or accepting employment there, citing risks of forced deployment to military units.