Russia confirms 16 Cameroonian soldiers killed in Ukraine war

No information has been provided specifying how the soldiers ended up fighting for Russia or the circumstances surrounding their deaths.Russia has confirmed that 16 Cameroonian soldiers have been killed while fighting in its four-year war against Ukraine, according to the West African country.In a statement broadcast on state media late on Monday, the Cameroon" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="111176" data-entity-type="organization">Foreign Ministry of Cameroon called on the families of the dead to make contact with officials in the capital city of Yaounde.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Bangladeshis seeking jobs in Russia forced to join war on Ukraine: Reportlist 2 of 3‘You either fight or die’: Kenyans tricked into joining Russia-Ukraine warlist 3 of 3Kenyan families demand return of loved ones recruited into Russian armyend of listIt was the first time that Cameroon had discussed the involvement of its nationals in the Russia-Ukraine war. Moscow has pulled foreigners from numerous nations into its invasion forces over the course of the war.A Cameroonian diplomatic note, dated Monday and seen by the Reuters news agency, referred to the deceased as “military contractors of Cameroonian nationality” operating in a special military operation zone, the term Russia uses to describe Ukraine since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.Neither the statement nor the diplomatic note specified how the 16 men ended up fighting for Russia, nor did they provide details on the location, timing and circumstances of their deaths.In an internal memo issued in March 2025 and seen by Reuters, Cameroon’s defence minister expressed concern that soldiers were leaving the country to join the war in Ukraine and instructed commanding officers to closely monitor their units.Cameroon has said it does not officially deploy troops abroad outside of international or regional mandates, and has warned citizens against taking part in foreign conflicts.Ukraine said in February that more than 1,700 Africans were fighting for Russia, though analysts say the true figure is likely higher.