Kenyan athlete narrates how he was duped into fighting for Russia before capture by Ukrainian forces

A Kenyan athlete’s trip to Russia turned into a nightmare, leaving him trapped on the frontlines of a war he never wanted to fight.

Evans, who has spent over a decade in athletics, went to Russia as a tourist, only to be deceived into joining the Russian military and later captured by Ukrainian forces.

“I joined the Russian military not knowing I was being recruited. I have never been in the military, and I have never wanted a military job. I went there as a tourist and spent two weeks, but after I had one day left before I returned, the man who received me asked what I thought of Russia, and I said it was good. He asked if I would like to stay. I said yes, but my visa had expired,” Evans said, recalling how his life took an unexpected turn in a video seen by Eastleigh Voice.

He said a contact person offered to help with his visa and presented him with documents written in Russian.

“He came in the evening with documents written in Russian; I didn’t know it was a military job. He told me to sign and took my passport and phone, and that is how everything went wrong.”

Evans was then driven seven hours away to a military camp, where his protests were ignored.

“You already signed the documents; you cannot go back. You either serve or get killed,” he was told.

After only one week of training, Evans was sent to the frontline alongside other foreign recruits.

“I’m not the enemy of Ukraine. I found myself in a situation I could not get out of, and I was stuck because I didn’t know what I was signing. It messed my life,” he said.

Desperate to survive, he removed his uniform and spent two days navigating the forest, searching for Ukrainian forces.

“I walked into their camp after spending two days running… If I went back to the Russians, they would have killed me. I walked to them with my hands raised. They tied me, took me to their camp, and they fed me, gave me water. They (Ukrainian Defenders) are good people. In Russia, they probably think I am dead,” Evans said.

At the heart of his struggle is his daughter, who currently lives with his mother.

“I’m an athlete. I have been in athletics for over 10 years. I don’t want Russia; I will die there. I have a daughter who is 16 years… She needs me,” he said.

Evans described himself as a single parent whose priority is returning home safely.

His capture comes amid reports of Russia allegedly recruiting unsuspecting Africans with promises of jobs, only to force them into military service. Russia has denied these claims.

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