Fighters from the Separate Assault Regiment “Skelya” have captured a Kenyan national fighting for Russian forces near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast.

The regiment announced the detention on its Facebook page and released an interrogation video of the captive.

The detainee, whose name has not been publicly disclosed, told interrogators that he answered a recruitment agency’s advertisement in Kenya expecting civilian work, not combat duties. He claimed he was “fighting for survival” at home and was promised a job in his profession.

His capture raises ongoing questions about the growing number of foreign fighters recruited by Russia and pending investigations into battlefield deaths among such mercenaries.

According to the regiment’s press service, another Kenyan citizen—Nyambura Eric Mwangi—was recently killed near Borova in Kharkiv Oblast while fighting on Russia’s side. Ukrainian intelligence has since identified Mwangi as a mercenary and warned that Russia continues actively recruiting African fighters.

Authorities are now verifying the captured man’s claims, reviewing materials related to his detention, and urging foreign nationals to avoid travel to conflict zones in Ukraine.

The Skelya regiment’s assault units have been active in the Kupiansk direction, where Russian forces continue attempts to capture the city using infiltration tactics. Despite ongoing bombardment, some local residents remain in the area.

The captured Kenyan mercenary is currently in Ukrainian custody; further legal proceedings are expected.