Larry Madowo has opened up on the hundreds of requests he has received following his extensive coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has seen hundreds of Africans recruited to join the Russian army, with many casualties.
The journalist noted that hundreds have approached him, seeking his assistance to get connected with the Russian army with others seeking his assitance to retrieve bodies of loved ones killed in the war.
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, the journalist made it clear that he is not able to offer the help requested and urged people to stop making such requests.
“I’ve received hundreds of messages asking to connect them to the Russian army. Please stop asking me,” Madowo stated.
Requests for help in retrieving bodies of those killed
On the same breath, the award-winning journalist also revealed that many families whose sons were killed in the war have sought his help in retrieving the bodies.
Madowo stated that he is not in a position to help with the requests that have come in their hundreds, following his piece on the recruitment of Africans to join the Russian army.
“I’ve also received hundreds of messages from families whose sons were killed in the Ukraine war but are unable to retrieve their bodies. I’m afraid I can’t help with that either,” Madowo said.
Number of Kenyans killed in Russia’s war with Ukraine
A new investigative report dubbed The Business of Despair published by INPACT on Friday, February 13, 2026, revealed that at least 10 Kenyans have died in the frontline fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine.
The report by a Swiss-based, open-source investigative non-governmental organisation dedicated to producing in-depth, long-term investigative projects documents that at least 316 Africans have been killed, a figure the authors warn is not exhaustive.
According to the report, Moscow turned to controversial recruitment networks aimed at sustaining the operations of Russian army, with these networks operating through national recruitment agencies that advertise jobs in one country, only for the recruits to eventually find themselves in Russia.
In other instances, agencies vaguely claim to be sending workers to unspecified European destinations, masking the true endpoint.
“Faced with these constraints, the Kremlin has launched a structured recruitment campaign, targeting historic allies and the Global South, with a particular focus on the African continent,” the report released on Friday, February 13, 2026, says.
Recruits are taken to the frontline after a few days of training with little experience and many lose their lives.
