Two Ugandans captured in Ukraine after allegedly being recruited by Russian forces

Ukrainian forces have captured two Ugandan citizens who were allegedly recruited by Russian forces to fight in the ongoing conflict, according to a newly released video interview on the popular Apostle Dmytro Karpenko YouTube channel.

The captured individuals have been identified as 26-year-old Kamdira Godfrey, a trained medical professional from the capital district of Kampala, and 45-year-old Richard, a prosperous commercial farmer from the neighboring Wakiso district.

The interrogation-style interview highlights a growing trend of foreign nationals from Global South countries being drawn into the Russian military apparatus under questionable circumstances, often starkly contrasting with the financial realities of their home countries.

Despite initial expectations by the Ukrainian interviewers that the men fled extreme poverty, both captives reportedly enjoyed relatively stable financial lives in Uganda prior to their arrival in Russia.

Kamdira Godfrey (26) is from Kampala District and has a Diploma in Clinical Medicine (a 9-year British-model track consisting of primary school and secondary cycles followed by a 3-year medical diploma).

Prior to his Ukraine duties, he was a clinical assistant/nurse helping doctors in hospitals.

Godfrey stated that he earned approximately $800 (Ksh.103,560) a month in his medical role—a sum described during the interview as an exceptionally high salary in Uganda, where the average base income for unskilled workers can sit around $100 (Ksh.12,945).

He expressed a desire to eventually return home to study civil aviation and become a pilot.

Richard (45) was born in Wakiso District and is a Commercial Farmer and Shop Owner.

Prior to traveling to the warfront, Richard managed roughly 15 acres of land split between his current family and his ex-wife, raising dairy cows and cultivating coffee and maize on a large scale.

He reported generating a monthly revenue of up to $1,500 (Ksh.194,175) depending on the U.S. dollar exchange rate, selling his yields to local markets and through his own retail shop.

Richard is the father of seven children and supports an extended family.

While they did not explicitly detail the exact deceptive promises made by Russian recruiters, the men noted a sequence of events that led them from local medical and agricultural work directly to Moscow, and eventually to the Ukrainian front.

Godfrey noted that after completing a brief eight-month stint assisting at a hospital in Zambia to gain experience, he was routed directly to Moscow.

They revealed a scene of confusion and panic on the battlefield.

Upon realizing they were trapped in a combat zone, the foreign recruits reportedly attempted to blend in to save their lives.

"They changed into civilian clothes, because they knew that if the Ukrainians saw them, they would immediately beat them... It was understood that there were some soldiers who would help them, just like in a movie," the interviewer noted, summarizing their account.

When the men finally encountered forces on the ground, they tried to clarify that they were not Russian combatants.

"We told him we are Russians, but we need your help... We are not Russians, we are Ugandans," they stated, capturing the chaotic final moments before their capture.

One of the men reportedly cried out, "We came here for help. They came here to kill us."

One said a shady empress lured him to Moscow and then handed him over to the military. The other claims he was deceived by a new friend and also dragged into the war. They say they surrendered almost immediately to some locals.

The interviewer emphasized that Uganda’s domestic military, the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), operates on a strictly voluntary, contract-based system with no mandatory conscription for its population of roughly 48 million.

This underscores that the choice to travel abroad was handled via external private recruitment networks rather than state mobilization.

The two men are currently being held by Ukrainian authorities as international prisoners of war.

Neither the Russian Ministry of Defense nor the Ugandan government has issued an official statement regarding the capture or status of these specific nationals.