Uganda has confirmed that at least 30 of its citizens have been killed or are presumed dead while serving in Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to a diplomatic letter from Uganda’s embassy in Moscow.
In a letter dated October 17, Ambassador Moses Kizige said Russia reported on October 8 that 11 Ugandans had been killed, bringing the total confirmed fatalities to 14 when three earlier deaths were included. Another 16 Ugandans are “effectively dead,” but Russian authorities have been unable to locate their bodies, according to the Ugandan New Vision website.
The ambassador asked Uganda’s foreign ministry to notify bereaved families so that compensation and other benefits can be processed. He also urged relatives seeking missing loved ones to provide passport details to the embassy in Moscow.
The figures emerged days after Ugandan lawmakers demanded an explanation of how 121 citizens entered the Russian military. MP Patrick Katabazi told Parliament that 48 Ugandans had reportedly died on the front lines, three were prisoners of war in Ukraine, and seven were being treated in Russian hospitals.
Earlier reporting by Citizen Digital cited leaked diplomatic correspondence and family petitions alleging that Ugandans were recruited through false promises of civilian employment, then sent into combat zones.
The report said Russia’s defense ministry had notified Kampala of deaths in the “special military operation” zone and had declared at least one Ugandan missing in action.
Ambassador Kizige said five Ugandans remain in the Russian army and are expected to be discharged when their contracts expire. One dismissed soldier, Robert Tumwebaze, disappeared at a railway station while returning to his base after leaving a military hospital.
Ugandan authorities have previously warned citizens against illegal recruitment for foreign wars and increased screening at Entebbe International Airport to prevent suspected recruits from travelling. Families, meanwhile, continue to press the government to establish whether their relatives are alive, imprisoned, or dead.
