Athlete Kenyan Evans Kibet says he was dupped to join the Russian army and go to Ukraine

With tears in the eyes, a young Kenyan athlete now captive in Ukraine begs not to be sent back to Russia.

“I will die there,” said Evans Kibet, waving his hands in the air towards the invisible interviewer on the video published Wednesday by a brigade of the Ukrainian army.

The 36 -year -old prisoner of war has a red sports top. The brigade flag is pinned behind it.

The long -distance farm runner says he was deceived to join the Russian army and is desperate to go home to see his 16 -year -old daughter.

In an article on Facebook accompanying the video, the 57th separate motorized infantry brigade said that it was an example of how Russia treats foreign recruits, but added that it “fought on the enemy side, in order to believe that words and tears were in your discretion”.

The brigade said that the interview had been filmed with Kibet’s consent, but the BBC did not check it. Although recruits abroad in the Russian army are not unknown, this is a rare case of a captive foreigner speaking of video.

The citizens of Somalia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba and Sri Lanka, among others, are currently detained in Ukrainian prison camps, Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for Ukraine on the treatment of prisoners of war, told the BBC.

“Most of these individuals come from poor countries and find themselves on the Russian side in different ways. Some are deceived – jobs promised in factories – while others join the war voluntarily. It is important to understand that very few are captured alive; most are either killed or seriously injured,” he added.

Back in Kenya, the family and friends of Kibet are in shock from what they have seen.

After a heavy sigh and a long break, her cousin Edith Chesoi told the BBC that she had replayed the video again and again in her head.

“I’m so traumatized. I didn’t sleep at night. I don’t even know what to say.”

Kibet’s younger brother, Isaac Kipyego, described it as “a humble man and a man with a few words” as well as a pillar and an adviser from the rest of the family.

They know him as someone dedicated to his sport.

“I love running, I love running,” said Kibet on the Ukrainian video. And that’s what may have led him to become an involuntary Russian recruit.

Kibet had built its life around athletics, a sport that has raised many Kenyans like him villages to global recognition.

He grew up in an agricultural family in the Mount Elgon region in western Kenya.

The Kibet trained in Iten, the high altitude city famous for producing Olympians and world champions, but in a competitive field, it has never reached this status. Instead, he participated in less known races on the less known road of 10 and half-marathon in Europe and Asia, according to family and friends.

“Kibet has been running since he was a child,” said his younger brother. “He has always been talented. Running was his life.”

But while sport defined his identity, he had not offered the financial breakthrough he aspired.

Friends say Kibet had financial difficulties.

In March, he asked a training partner, Elias Kiptum, to help him run in Poland, but the team that went was already full.

“I guess that’s how he found himself in Russia,” Kiptum told the BBC.

When, later in the year, a sports agent offered him a trip to Russia to participate in races, Kibet took the opportunity. BBC calls to the agent to confirm that this has not been recovered.

“He was very excited when he told me that he was going to run in Russia,” said Kibet’s brother. “Even I was happy for him. We had great expectations.”

His cousin, Ms. Chesoi, who escorted her to the bus park during the first stage of the trip at the end of July, said that he was carrying “a small suitcase”.

Kibet told his family that he only left for two weeks.

On the video filmed in Ukraine, Kibet says he went to Russia as a visitor and not for “military work”.

Then, after a fortnight, his host asked him if he wanted to stay longer.

“I said,” Yes, but the problem is that my visa has expired. “He said:” No, I can do something for you. “” And then he promised a job in Kibet.

“In the evening, he came with articles written in Russian. He said to me:” This is the job I want you to do. “”

“I didn’t know it was military work.”

Kibet says he then signed the papers and that the man took his phone and passport.

“And that’s how everything went wrong … that the signature ruined my life.”

According to the Kibet, other people showed up and told him to get into a car. They then driven for about seven hours.

“I found myself in a military camp.”

Kibet says he was informed that he had registered to be in the army and that he had no choice.

“I was told:” Either you will fight or we will kill you. “”

He says that a week of basic training followed, during which he was shown to manage an automatic rifle. None of his commanders spoke English, so the instructions came by pads and gestures.

The Kibet insists that he never got into combat, then on the way to what would have been his first mission, he abandoned his equipment and escaped, wandering for two days through a forest near Vovchansk in the northeast region of Kharkiv in Ukraine.

He then approached Ukrainian soldiers.

“I went there with my hands,” he said, repeating the gesture of the camera.

“I said,” I’m Kenyan, please don’t shoot me. “”

“Everyone has pointed out to me, but I told them to calm down. The commander came, they attached me. I said to them:” No, I am not armed, I don’t want anything. I’m here to save my life. “”

Although the Kibet family is in shock from the video, there is a certain relief that it is in the hands of the Ukrainians.

“We think he is a little safe (with them) rather than being in Russia,” said his brother Mr. Kipyego.

The family asks the Kenyan authorities to intervene. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet responded to a request for comments.

“If the government of his country of origin expresses his interest in his repatriation, Ukraine is open to negotiations on the transfer of him,” said the Ukrainian spokesman Mr. Yatsenko.

However, speaking of other prisoners of war, he added that “most African states show little interest in the return of these citizens and do not wish to take them back”.

For those close to Kibet, their only priority is its safety.

“If he made a mistake, let them forgive him. We only want him to come back,” said his brother.