Zambian Student Dies Fighting For Russia In Ukraine

An official from Zambia, a nation in southern Africa, said that a student who had been detained in Russia and was fighting for Russia in Ukraine had died in the conflict.

Lemekhani Nathan Nyirenda, 23, was enrolled at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI) to pursue a degree in nuclear engineering, according to a statement made by Zambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Stanley Kakubo on Monday.

“The ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation is deeply saddened by the untimely death of Mr. Nyirenda under such circumstances and commiserates with the family on their loss,” it said.

Kakubo urged the Russian government to reveal more information on Nyirenda’s recruiting and how he ended up fighting in Ukraine.

Kakubo claims that in April 2020, Nyirenda was found guilty and given a nine-year prison term at the Tyer medium security prison on the outskirts of the Russian capital.

It is yet unknown what offenses Nyirenda was found guilty of.

The foreign affairs ministry claimed to have learned of Nyirenda’s passing on November 9 and to have confirmed the student’s murder on September 22 after speaking with the Zambian embassy in Moscow.

Nyirenda’s specific location at the time of his death in Ukraine is unknown, but his body has been moved to Rostov, a town on the Russian border, to start the repatriation procedure back to Zambia.

When formal word from the Russian authorities is received, Kakubo said he will personally contact Nyirenda’s family in Zambia to ask for additional information about their son’s passing.

On February 24, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.