Cameroonian soldiers killed in Russia/Ukraine war

Russia has confirmed that 16 Cameroonian soldiers have been killed while fighting in its four-year war against Ukraine. The Foreign Ministry of Cameroon called on the families of the dead to make contact with officials in the capital city of Yaounde, reports Al Jazeera. It was the first time that Cameroon had discussed the involvement of its nationals in the Russia-Ukraine war. A Cameroonian diplomatic note, seen by Reuters, referred to the deceased as ‘military contractors of Cameroonian nationality’ operating in a special military operation zone, the term Russia uses to describe the attacks against 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. Furthermore, several African countries have said some of their citizens have been tricked into fighting for Russia by offers of lucrative jobs or skills training.

Full Al Jazeera report