Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1627 EAT on Monday 9 March 2026

Two more Ugandans have died while fighting on the Russian side in Ukraine, according to a new report.

The investigative report, titled The Business of Despair and released on February 11, 2026, reveals that seven Ugandan nationals were recruited to join Russian forces in Ukraine. Of these, two were killed. The study was authored by Swiss-based non-governmental organization INPACT.

The deceased have been identified as 44-year-old Michael Atuhaire and 38-year-old Ashraf Damulira. Their deaths bring the total number of Ugandans reported killed in Ukraine to three. The Ugandan government has stated it is unable to repatriate the bodies of nationals who died on the battlefield.

Speaking to the Daily Monitor on February 8, Foreign Affairs State Minister Henry Okello Oryem said the government is unable to repatriate the bodies of Ugandans killed while fighting in Ukraine.

Oryem’s comments followed inquiries about the death of Edson Kamwesigye, who was reportedly killed in early February during Ukrainian strikes while fighting on the Russian side in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Kamwesigye’s family had sought government assistance to repatriate his body.

According to reports, Kamwesigye died in Kupiansk, in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region—an area that has witnessed intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces. His death was confirmed through identification details and images circulating on social media.

Social media sources indicate Kamwesigye was from Kibombo village, Nyakaina parish, Buyanja sub-county, Rukungiri district. He was born on June 19, 1980.

When contacted about the matter, Uganda’s Embassy in Moscow said that issues relating to Ukraine had been transferred to the Ugandan Embassy in Berlin. Efforts to obtain a comment from the Berlin embassy were unsuccessful.

While the exact number of Ugandans fighting for Russia in Ukraine remains unknown, videos have emerged online showing men singing in Luganda and Swahili. In August 2025, during a surge of illegal recruitment across Africa, Ugandan security officials intercepted a group of nationals en route to the Ukraine war via Moscow.

Two suspected Russian recruiters were arrested in Uganda but later released, prompting strong warnings from the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, against Ugandans joining foreign conflicts as mercenaries.

In a message posted on his X page following the arrests, Muhoozi stated:
“Ugandans are forbidden from being recruited to participate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Anyone who dares will be punished severely.”

Despite these warnings, some Ugandans appear to have circumvented restrictions. In February, videos surfaced online showing men in military attire singing Ugandan war songs in Luganda and Kiswahili amid snowy landscapes, suggesting they had reached Ukraine.

Kenya Most Affected in East Africa
According to reports, Kenya has suffered the highest losses among East African nations in the conflict, with 10 citizens killed. Burundi lost six, the Democratic Republic of Congo three, and Uganda two. Rwanda, Somalia, and South Sudan have reported no casualties.

The Swiss NGO INPACT, in its investigative report The Business of Despair, documented the scope of African recruitment for the Russian military.

Investigators obtained files listing recruits from across the continent, including a detailed file of 1,417 nationals with their full names, dates of birth, military registration numbers, contract signing dates in Russia, and citizenship.

A second file detailed those killed in action, including their names, dates of birth, military service numbers, contract signing dates, recorded dates of death, months enlisted before death, citizenship, and Russian army unit affiliation. The report highlights a growing continental challenge of illegal recruitment of African nationals for foreign conflicts.

The INPACT investigative report indicates that recruits killed in action were drawn from 37 different Russian military units. Many of these units were involved in high-casualty operations in Ukraine.

Among them, the 1008th Motorised Rifle Regiment of the 6th Motorised Rifle Division, part of the 3rd Army Corps, saw five of its soldiers killed in action.

The 3rd Army Corps participated in notable battles west of Klishchiivka in February 2024 and south of Chasiv Yar in October 2024. The highest number of casualties occurred in the 7th Independent Motorised Rifle Brigade of the 3rd Army, which accounted for 49 recruits killed in action.

South Africans Rescued from Frontlines
In a related development, the French news agency AFP reported that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed “heartfelt gratitude” to Russian President Vladimir Putin for facilitating the return of South Africans who had been lured into fighting in Ukraine.

In November 2025, Pretoria received “distress calls” from 17 men trapped in the epicentre of fighting in Ukraine’s Donbas region after being misled into joining mercenary forces. Four of the men returned home last week, 11 are expected to return soon, while two remain in Russia, the presidency said.

“President Ramaphosa has expressed his heartfelt gratitude to President Vladimir Putin, who responded positively to his call to support the process of returning the men home,” the statement read.

“The investigation into the circumstances that led to the recruitment of these young men into mercenary activities is ongoing,” it added.

South African law prohibits citizens from fighting for a foreign military without government authorisation.

-Observer

Invest or Donate towards HICGI New Agency Global Media Establishment – Watch video here

Email: editorial@hicginewsagency.com TalkBusiness@hicginewsagency.com WhatsApp +256713137566

Follow us on all social media, type “HICGI News Agency” .