PREMIUM Kenyan mercenary: My 'suicide bomber' video was staged but reality in Russia is worse Francis, a Kenyan, travelled to Russia believing he had been recruited for security work. Weekly Review 6 min ago

Both sides have skillfully manipulated global opinion and, in one case, pulled off a months-long deception involving a Kenyan mercenary fighting for Russia that captured the world’s attention In January 2026, a viral video appeared to capture a particularly brutal episode from Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In its latest human-rights report on Ukraine, published in June 2026, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said torture and ill-treatment of POWs continued on both sides, describing Russian abuse of Ukrainian prisoners as widespread and systematic while locating most abuse of Russian POWs by Ukraine during capture and transit.

PREMIUM ‘Death brokers’ of Russian-Ukraine war promise millions to grieving Kenyan families A shadowy network is offering compensation to those desperately searching for relatives caught up in Russia's war.