Uganda Embassy Confirms 11 Nationals Dead and 16 Missing in Russian Military

The Ugandan Embassy in Moscow has released a grim update confirming that at least 11 Ugandan nationals who enlisted in the Russian army have died in the conflict zone. An additional 16 citizens remain missing and are currently presumed dead as authorities struggle to account for their whereabouts.

According to a letter dated October 17, 2026, from Uganda’s Head of Mission in Moscow, Ambassador Moses K. Kizige, the sobering statistics were provided by the Russian government. The Russian response followed a formal diplomatic inquiry initiated by the Ugandan embassy on August 19, prompted by petitions from families searching for their missing relatives.

Ambassador Kizige noted that the missing individuals are not currently classified as prisoners of war, and their bodies have yet to be recovered. The embassy launched the tracing efforts after receiving passport details from Innocent Kato, a principal petitioner representing concerned families. These details were verified locally before being submitted to Moscow.

While the exact timelines and circumstances of the casualties remain unspecified, the embassy report sheds light on other Ugandan fighters. Five individuals—identified as Rogers Mwebaze, Evarist Barigye, Honest Mugabi, Eric Kisakye, and Ronald Samula Tenywa—are still serving in the Russian military and are expected to be discharged upon the completion of their contracts. Meanwhile, another citizen, Robert Tumwebaze, was reportedly discharged from a military hospital but later fled from embassy personnel at a railway station.

The diplomatic mission has urgently called upon Uganda’s ministry of Foreign Affairs to notify the grieving families so they can initiate processes to claim entitled benefits. Officials also highlighted that families of three previously confirmed casualties—Baker Mwesigye, Alex Mutesigensi, and Edson Kamwesigye—have yet to reach out to the embassy.

Families seeking information regarding relatives believed to be serving in the conflict are encouraged to submit official passport details to the embassy to assist with ongoing verification and tracing efforts.

For more details, read the original report on The Observer.