On Thursday, February 12, 2026, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) confirmed the recovery of the bodies of two Nigerian citizens, Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka, who were killed by drone strikes in the Luhansk region.
The DIU report highlights a chilling pattern of immediate deployment to the front lines.
Udoka, who signed a contract on September 28, 2025, is said to have received no training whatsoever and was sent to a combat unit just five days later.
According to the report: “Both Nigerians were killed in late November during an attempt to storm Ukrainian positions… they never engaged in a firefight, the mercenaries were eliminated by a drone strike.”
In the Luhansk region, military intelligence operatives discovered the bodies of two citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria — Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole (03.04.1983) and Mbah Stephen Udoka (07.01.1988).