Kenya's Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi announced that the government has reached an agreement with Moscow to stop the recruitment of Kenyan citizens to fight alongside Russian troops in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This statement was made during a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, where Mudavadi emphasized that the relationship between Nairobi and Moscow should not be solely defined by the war, stating that consular services would be organized through official diplomatic channels to aid Kenyans residing in Russia.

Reports from Ukraine have indicated that over 1,780 citizens from 36 African countries are currently fighting alongside Russian forces. In Kenya specifically, a local intelligence report has revealed that more than 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited, a number that significantly exceeds previous official estimates by five times. Foreign Minister Lavrov responded by affirming that the Russian Ministry of Defense is examining cases that have raised