With tears in his eyes, a young Kenyan athlete now captive in Ukraine pleads not to be sent back to Russia.
'I will die there,' Evans Kibet says, waving his hands in the air towards the unseen interviewer on the video released on Wednesday by a Ukrainian army brigade.
The 36-year-old prisoner-of-war is wearing a red sports top. The brigade's flag is pinned up behind him.
The aspiring long-distance runner says he was tricked into joining the Russian army and is desperate to go home to see his 16-year-old daughter.
In a Facebook post accompanying the video, the 57th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade said it was an example of how Russia treats foreign recruits but added that he had 'fought on the side of the enemy, so whether to believe the words and tears is up to your discretion.'
The brigade said the interview was filmed with Kibet's consent, but the BBC has not verified this. Though recruits from abroad in the Russian army are not unheard of, this is a rare case of a captive foreigner speaking on video.
Citizens of Somalia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba, and Sri Lanka, among others, are currently held in Ukrainian prisoner-of-war camps, Petro Yatsenko, Ukraine's spokesperson on the treatment of prisoners of war, told the BBC.
'Most of these individuals come from poorer countries and end up on the Russian side in different ways. Some are deceived – promised jobs at 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, Kibet's family and friends are in shock over what they have seen.
After a heavy sigh and a long pause, his cousin Edith Chesoi told the BBC that she had been replaying the video over and over in her head.
'I am so traumatised. I didn't sleep at night. I don't even know what to say.'
Kibet's younger brother, Isaac Kipyego, described him as 'a humble guy and a man with a few words,' as well as a pillar and advisor to the rest of the family. They know him as someone dedicated to his sport.
'I love running, I love running,' Kibet says on the Ukrainian video. And it was this that may have led him to becoming an unwitting Russian recruit.
Kibet had built his life around athletics, a sport that has lifted many Kenyans from villages to global recognition. He grew up in a farming family from the Mount Elgon area in western Kenya, training in Iten, the high-altitude town famed for producing Olympians.
Despite his talent, he never reached that elite status, focusing on lower-profile events. Friends noted his struggles financially, leading him to seek opportunities abroad.
In March, he asked a training partner to help him race in Poland but the team was full. When a sports agent offered him a race opportunity in Russia later in the year, Kibet seized the chance, unaware of the dark turn it would take.
After arriving in Russia and overwhelmed by excitement, Kibet found himself deceived. He signed papers thinking they were employment documents but ended up being forced into military service.
Under duress, he was told: 'Either you fight or we'll kill you.' Following basic military training, he ultimately managed to escape and sought refuge with Ukrainian soldiers, surrendering with his hands up, pleading for his life.
Kibet’s family hopes for his safe return and has reached out to Kenyan authorities for assistance, while Ukrainian officials have expressed some willingness to negotiate for his repatriation.
'I will die there,' Evans Kibet says, waving his hands in the air towards the unseen interviewer on the video released on Wednesday by a Ukrainian army brigade.
The 36-year-old prisoner-of-war is wearing a red sports top. The brigade's flag is pinned up behind him.
The aspiring long-distance runner says he was tricked into joining the Russian army and is desperate to go home to see his 16-year-old daughter.
In a Facebook post accompanying the video, the 57th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade said it was an example of how Russia treats foreign recruits but added that he had 'fought on the side of the enemy, so whether to believe the words and tears is up to your discretion.'
The brigade said the interview was filmed with Kibet's consent, but the BBC has not verified this. Though recruits from abroad in the Russian army are not unheard of, this is a rare case of a captive foreigner speaking on video.
Citizens of Somalia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba, and Sri Lanka, among others, are currently held in Ukrainian prisoner-of-war camps, Petro Yatsenko, Ukraine's spokesperson on the treatment of prisoners of war, told the BBC.
'Most of these individuals come from poorer countries and end up on the Russian side in different ways. Some are deceived – promised jobs at 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, Kibet's family and friends are in shock over what they have seen.
After a heavy sigh and a long pause, his cousin Edith Chesoi told the BBC that she had been replaying the video over and over in her head.
'I am so traumatised. I didn't sleep at night. I don't even know what to say.'
Kibet's younger brother, Isaac Kipyego, described him as 'a humble guy and a man with a few words,' as well as a pillar and advisor to the rest of the family. They know him as someone dedicated to his sport.
'I love running, I love running,' Kibet says on the Ukrainian video. And it was this that may have led him to becoming an unwitting Russian recruit.
Kibet had built his life around athletics, a sport that has lifted many Kenyans from villages to global recognition. He grew up in a farming family from the Mount Elgon area in western Kenya, training in Iten, the high-altitude town famed for producing Olympians.
Despite his talent, he never reached that elite status, focusing on lower-profile events. Friends noted his struggles financially, leading him to seek opportunities abroad.
In March, he asked a training partner to help him race in Poland but the team was full. When a sports agent offered him a race opportunity in Russia later in the year, Kibet seized the chance, unaware of the dark turn it would take.
After arriving in Russia and overwhelmed by excitement, Kibet found himself deceived. He signed papers thinking they were employment documents but ended up being forced into military service.
Under duress, he was told: 'Either you fight or we'll kill you.' Following basic military training, he ultimately managed to escape and sought refuge with Ukrainian soldiers, surrendering with his hands up, pleading for his life.
Kibet’s family hopes for his safe return and has reached out to Kenyan authorities for assistance, while Ukrainian officials have expressed some willingness to negotiate for his repatriation.
