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epaselect epa12707134 Bibiana Wangari (C), Charles' mother is overwhelmed by grief while she holds a printed portrait of her son Charles Waithaka Wangari 31yrs, who was killed while fighting in Russia, during a symbolic funeral service after failing to retrieve his body from Russia for burial at their rural Mukurwe-ini village, in Nyeri, Kenya, 05 February 2026. Waithaka is among the many Kenyans and other African youths who have fallen victims after being lured for lucrative jobs in Russia but later are forcefully recruited into the Russian military to fight against Ukraine Army in the frontline in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. According to a briefing from Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of November 2025, recruitment exercises in Russia have reportedly expanded to include African nationals, including Kenyans since the start of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in 2022. Reports suggest that over two hundred Kenyans may have joined the Russian military after being lured by promises of ordinary jobs, only to end up on the frontline in Ukraine. EPA/DANIEL IRUNGU