Kenyan President William Ruto has asked his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, to assist in securing the release of Kenyan nationals detained in Ukraine after being captured amid the ongoing war with Russia.
Ruto made the request during a telephone conversation with President Zelensky, where the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and issues affecting citizens of both nations.
In a message posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, President Ruto said the discussion covered a range of topics related to cooperation between Kenya and Ukraine.
“We expressed concern about Kenyan youth who were deceived or illegally taken abroad to fight in the war in Ukraine,” Ruto said. “We agreed to intensify awareness campaigns about the risks associated with such activities.”
The Kenyan leader confirmed that he had asked President Zelensky to help release Kenyans held in Ukrainian prisons and expressed satisfaction with Zelensky’s response.
“I am pleased that His Excellency agreed to my request,” Ruto stated.
Recently, Ukrainian military forces announced that they had captured several Kenyan nationals who were allegedly fighting alongside Russian troops.
According to a statement from the 57th Brigade of the Ukrainian army, the capture took place in the Kharkiv region, where four Kenyan fighters were reportedly detained.
The war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2022, erupted after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, claiming it was acting to prevent NATO’s expansion toward Russian borders.
Since then, the conflict has drawn in the international community, with the United States and European countries backing Ukraine, while foreign mercenaries from around the world have joined the fight on both sides.