“Wagner” confirmed that one mercenary was killed, a student from Zambia

This was confirmed by the head of the so-called private military company (PMC) “Wagner”, businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin Lemehani Nyirenda, a 23-year-old student from Zambia, fought as part of the paramilitary group and died in Ukrainereports the BBC’s Russian service.

The death of Zambia in Ukraine became known in November, a the authorities of the African country have asked Moscow for urgent explanations for the death of its citizen.

Lemehani Nyirenda “died a hero,” according to Prigozhin, the press service of his company “Concord” reported. According to him, Zambia was one of the first to storm enemy trenches, showing courage.

Before going to war, the Zambian student was serving a nine-year sentence in Russia for a drug-related offence. His family said they did not know how he was recruited or if he was made under duress.

In a post in the Facebook group “Zambians in Moscow” it says so the young man studied nuclear engineering in Moscow.

Prigogine said she “remembered this man well” and had spoken to him. According to Prigozhin, Zambia voluntarily agreed to fight in the ranks of PMC “Wagner”.

Prigozhin and other representatives of the paramilitary group have toured Russian prisons in recent months, trying to recruit prisoners for war in Ukraineoffering amnesty in exchange for participation in hostilities in Ukraine.

The BBC clarified that it was unable to timely verify the circumstances of Nyrenda’s death and Prigogine’s claims about his voluntary participation in the war.