Ukraine identifies first Botswana man killed fighting for Russia as Russia-Africa summit opens in Moscow
The agency said Namogang was recruited through social media after a Russian recruiter advertised military service opportunities in a WhatsApp group called “Work in Russia.”
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (DIU) has identified Pako Namogang, a Botswana national, as the first citizen of the southern African country to have been killed while fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine. This is as the Russia-Africa Summit opened in Moscow on October 28.
Namogang, born on May 30, 2001, was reportedly killed in combat in mid-August 2026 near Novoliubivka in Ukraine’s Luhansk region, according to Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence Directorate (DIU).
The agency said Namogang was recruited through social media after a Russian recruiter advertised military service opportunities in a WhatsApp group called “Work in Russia.”
“Namogang’s decision to join the Russian occupation forces was a conscious one,” the DIU said, adding that the whereabouts of an unknown number of his friends remained unclear.
According to the agency, Namogang departed from Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 6, 2026, and travelled to Moscow, where he arrived the following day and was accommodated in a hotel.
Correspondence with his Russian recruiter indicated that arrangements had been made for someone to meet him in South Africa and assist him with registration and boarding his flight. The DIU alleged that the person was likely an official from the Russian trade representation.
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On July 21, Namogang signed a one-year military contract with assistance from a Russian military official and local intermediaries.
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (DIU) has identified Pako Namogang, a Botswana national, as the first citizen of the southern African country to have been killed while fighting for Russia.The DIU identified the official involved as Senior Lieutenant A. V. Levykin and named two alleged recruitment intermediaries, Yelizaveta Sergeyevna Savinovskikh and Mikhail Sergeyevich Petrushenko.
The agency described the intermediaries as brokers who recruit foreign nationals and facilitate their transfer into the Russian military, accusing them of engaging in activities that amount to trafficking in foreign nationals.
After signing their contracts, Namogang and other foreign recruits were reportedly accommodated at the Avangard Military-Patriotic Education Centre for Youth in Patriot Park, near Moscow, where they underwent training.
The DIU said the use of facilities intended for youth education as a military base violated international humanitarian law and exposed civilians, including children, to danger.
Following the initial training, Namogang was transferred to a Russian military training centre, where he spent approximately 10 days before being deployed to Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian agency estimates that at least 25 Botswana nationals have signed contracts to fight for Russian forces. One is reportedly being held as a prisoner of war, while Namogang is the first Botswana national it has identified as having been killed in the conflict.
The DIU urged foreign nationals serving in Russian forces who wished to surrender to contact its “I Want to Live” initiative through its Telegram bot.
The announcement comes as African leaders and representatives gather in Moscow for the Russia-Africa Summit, which opened earlier this morning, amid growing concerns over African nationals' recruitment to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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