(LYMAN, UKRAINE) – Forces belonging to the 63rd Separate Mechanised Brigade of Ukraine have captured a Ugandan national who had been operating within the ranks of the Russian military near the strategic city of Lyman.
The individual reportedly approached a Ukrainian checkpoint independently, without weapons, to seek urgent assistance. Ukrainian military officials identified the captive as Makantora Richard, a 44 year old man with a wife and two daughters.
In his native Uganda, Richard was employed as a supermarket cleaner and lived in a modest two-room residence. He stated that his former income, roughly 40,000 Ugandan Shillings per week (11.10 US Dollars), was insufficient to provide for essential household items such as food, soap, and sugar.
Richard recounted being approached on the street by recruiters who promised well-paid civilian employment in Russia, including roles in supermarkets, factories, or security firms. To facilitate the journey, he secured a bank loan for air travel.
He departed for Russia alongside three other Ugandan men under the impression they would be entering the civilian workforce. Upon arrival, Richard claims the situation changed immediately as they were informed that no such jobs existed. The group was presented with a single choice: sign a contract with the Russian military.
Richard stated that when they attempted to refuse, the exits were barricaded and they were threatened at gunpoint. He recalled being told they were not permitted to leave before being given a choice between military service or death.
Under the cover of night, the group was moved to an undisclosed forest location. Richard described being detained in a subterranean facility where conditions were primitive and unsanitary, marked by bedbug infestations and a lack of adequate sustenance.
He noted that many individuals signed contracts only due to extreme duress. According to his testimony, he remained unaware of his actual location until he observed news reports confirming he was in an active combat zone.
Following his successful escape to Ukrainian lines, Richard issued a public warning to other African nationals, urging them to disregard Russian job offers which he characterised as a lethal trap designed to force foreigners into the army at gunpoint.
The incident follows reports from Bloomberg indicating that the Russian dictator has also been targeting South African citizens via the digital communication platform Discord. This recruitment effort reportedly focused on users of the military simulation game Arma 3.
At least two South African men, lured by the prospect of lucrative pay and Russian citizenship, travelled to Russia in July 2024. One of the men was subsequently killed in the Luhansk region in October 2024, a death confirmed by a medical certificate. The participation of South African citizens in foreign conflicts has been a criminal offence under South African law since 1998.
In addition to the exploitation of foreign nationals, the Russian military continues to target civilian infrastructure. In the port city of Odessa, residents are facing persistent emergency power outages and disruptions to water and heating following a series of drone strikes.
During the course of 2025, Russian forces destroyed 25 high-voltage substations in the region. The Chief Executive Officer of DTEK Odessa Grids, Dimmitro Hryhariv, described the recent period of shelling as the most challenging for the energy sector since the conflict began. Authorities in Odessa declared a state level emergency in December after massive strikes left more than 50,000 people without electricity for several days.
