Zelenskyy Raises Alarm Over Kenyan Citizens Recruited to Fight for Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Kenya and 46 other countries to protect their citizens from being recruited to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Speaking during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Zelenskyy said Russia was recruiting foreign nationals and sending them to the battlefield. He named Kenya among the 47 countries whose citizens he said had been used in Russian military operations.

The other countries he cited included Sudan, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Nepal, Tajikistan, India, Yemen, Cuba and Belarus. Addressing the representatives of the countries directly, Zelenskyy said Russia was exploiting vulnerable people through deceptive recruitment methods. He urged governments to protect their citizens and prevent them from being drawn into the war.

The appeal comes as foreign nationals have been killed or captured while fighting for Russia. Ukraine has confirmed that several governments have requested the return of their citizens who are being held as prisoners of war. Ukrainian military footage has also shown foreign nationals among those killed during fighting.

Kenya is among the countries dealing with the consequences of the recruitment of its citizens. A report by the National Intelligence Service earlier this year estimated that about 1,000 Kenyans had been recruited, with nearly 90 deployed to the frontline as of February.

Several Kenyan families have reported that relatives who travelled to Russia were later killed, wounded, went missing or were taken prisoner. The issue has also come under parliamentary scrutiny, with Senate committees summoning senior government officials to explain efforts to secure the release and return of affected Kenyans.

Those summoned included Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua and Attorney-General Dorcas Oduor. The Kenyan government has said it is using diplomatic channels to address the issue, with efforts focused on securing consular access, facilitating disengagement from military service and arranging the repatriation of affected citizens.

Zelenskyy's appeal adds to pressure on Kenya and other governments to take measures to prevent their citizens from being recruited into the conflict and to assist those already involved. The recruitment of foreign nationals has widened the international dimension of Russia's war against Ukraine, involving citizens from countries across Africa, Asia and elsewhere.