Ukraine has captured two Togolese nationals who were fighting alongside Russian forces, a Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent on April 3.
Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said the two individuals are in Ukrainian custody.
Togo’s Foreign Ministry earlier said the detainees had been misled into leaving the country with promises of scholarships allegedly offered by entities claiming to represent Russian institutions. The ministry said most of those involved were young students who ultimately ended up in combat.
“The ministry is actively working with certain diplomatic partners to shed light on this situation and to provide, as far as possible, the necessary assistance to the people concerned,” the ministry said in a statement, urging citizens to verify any scholarship offers through official channels before committing to study abroad, particularly in Russia.
The Kyiv Independent has interviewed foreign POWs in Ukrainian custody before. They often cite being misled by their recruiters.
Recently, over 1,500 foreign mercenaries from 48 countries were identified in an April 23 investigation by independent Russian outlet Important Stories.
Despite earlier claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin that foreign fighters were not needed, leaked documents from Moscow’s military recruitment system show mass enlistment efforts. Among the top nationalities are Nepalese, Sri Lankan, Chinese, and several Central Asian citizens.
In early April, two Chinese nationals were captured in Donetsk Oblast while fighting for Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky later said that "several hundred" Chinese nationals were taking part in the war on Russia's side. One detainee reportedly paid a middleman 300,000 rubles (about $3,500) to enlist in exchange for Russian citizenship.
China has denied involvement, claiming it urges its citizens to avoid armed conflicts. Moscow has also used some 12,000 North Korean army troops dispatched by Pyongyang to counter the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast, involvement of which it firstly confirmed on April 26.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
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