African men lured by fake job offers are being forced into Russia's war in Ukraine, with families reporting 1,000 Kenyans sent to fight and only 30 returning alive. Recruiters pose as travel agencies on WhatsApp, offering roles like bodyguards or cooks, but victims are funneled into military service via unreadable Russian contracts. Kenya’s National Intelligence Service confirmed James Kamau Ndungu’s widow and daughter mourned his disappearance after he was photographed in Ukrainian trenches. Vincent Odhiambo Awiti, a Nairobi recruit, described being tricked into signing military contracts after being promised shop work in Russia, only to face brutal combat near Vovchansk. Senator Okoiti Andrew Omtatah compared the scheme to “slave ships,” while Ukraine’s ambassador condemned Russia’s “devious” exploitation of desperate job seekers.