Kenya offers amnesty to citizens recruited into Russia-Ukraine war

Kenyans fighting for Russia in Ukraine will not be arrested upon return, the government has announced following widespread concerns about recruitment practices.

Kenyans fighting for Russia in Ukraine will not be arrested upon return, the government has announced following widespread concerns about recruitment practices.

Kenya’s National Intelligence Service has told parliament that more than 1,000 Kenyans were recruited to fight for Russia in the war against Ukraine. Recruits were allegedly lured with promises of high pay and foreign jobs, with dozens reported dead, missing, hospitalized or still deployed on the front lines.

In a clarifying statement today, President Zelensky insisted that no national elections will be held until a formal ceasefire is in place. He rejected rumors that Kyiv was being pressured by the U.S. to vote during active hostilities.

Assessments from Western intelligence suggest Russia sustained 9,000 more battlefield losses than it could replace in January. This gap is being hailed by Kyiv as a sign of progress in their strategy of attrition.

A second round of U.S.-brokered peace talks between Russia and Ukraine has begun in Abu Dhabi, with American, Ukrainian and Russian delegations meeting to push forward negotiations despite continued fighting and deep disagreements.

Russia has launched renewed large-scale missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, knocking out power in major cities and leaving thousands without heat during a brutal winter.