Kenyan Soldier in Russia Shoots Himself Twice to Escape War

A Kenyan man who joined the Russian military has returned home after surviving intense fighting in the Russia–Ukraine war. 

Dishon Maina, from Kirinyaga County, said he endured constant combat and narrowly escaped death during his time on the front line. Maina travelled to Russia six months ago after being recruited by an agent who promised high earnings. He said he signed what he described as a “contract of death” before receiving one month of basic military training and being deployed directly to the battlefield.

He recalled witnessing fellow soldiers killed almost daily while facing drone attacks and navigating areas filled with landmines. According to Maina, the conditions at the front were severe and left little chance for survival.

In an attempt to leave the war zone, Maina shot himself in the leg so he could be evacuated for medical treatment. He said he had repeatedly appealed to the Kenyan government for help without success and believed he had no other way out. Speaking to NTV, he said he considered himself fortunate to have returned home alive.

His family spent months fearing he had died after hearing rumours that he had been killed in combat. Now recovering at his rural home, Maina said he continues to struggle with the psychological effects of the conflict and remains troubled by memories of the violence he witnessed.

Maina also said many foreign recruits fighting alongside Russian forces came from African and Asian countries, including several Kenyans from Kiambu, Murang’a, Kirinyaga and Kisii counties. The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs estimates that about 291 Kenyans have joined Russian military operations since the conflict escalated, while at least 42 remain unaccounted for.