Tears rolled down his cheeks as Evans Kibet, a 36-year-old Kenyan athlete, stared into the camera and whispered, “I will die there.” Dressed in a simple red sports top, with Ukraine’s 57th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade flag pinned behind him, the runner who once dreamed of medals now sat as a prisoner of war. The video, released midweek, showed a man whose life had always been about racing tracks, not battlefields.
The Ukrainian brigade claimed Kibet spoke with consent, though the BBC could not confirm. In a cold statement, the brigade wrote, “He fought on the side of the enemy… whether to believe his words and tears is up to your discretion.” For many who knew him, that doubt cuts deep, because Kibet’s life had never been about guns but about running shoes.
Growing up in Mount Elgon, western Kenya, Kibet’s mornings started on dusty village paths, racing with other children before sunrise. His talent eventually took him to Iten—the legendary high-altitude town that has produced world champions. But unlike his heroes, he never made it big. Instead, he hustled across Europe and Asia in 10km and half-marathon races, surviving on appearance fees and small winnings. His younger brother Isaac remembers, “Running was his life.”
![Image of Kenyan athlete running on a dusty track]
Money problems became a heavy shadow. In March, when he failed to secure a spot in a Polish race, disappointment set in. Then came a supposed lifeline—a Russian agent promising him a chance to compete. “He was very excited,” Isaac said. His cousin Edith still recalls waving him off at a bus station in July, expecting him back in two weeks. She now says, “I didn’t sleep after seeing that video.”
What awaited him in Russia was no finish line. After his visa expired, his hosts offered him “a job” and tricked him into signing Russian papers. He later discovered it was a military contract. His phone and passport were seized. Driven to a camp, he was told bluntly: “Fight or we’ll kill you.” Given a rifle and a week’s training, he was pushed to the warfront. But instead of fighting, Kibet fled, wandering in the forests of Kharkiv until he surrendered to Ukrainian forces, pleading: “I am a Kenyan, please don’t shoot me.”
![Image showing a military camp with rifles stacked together]
Kibet’s ordeal exposes a grim reality: foreigners, many from Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, being lured into Russia’s war through fake job offers. Ukraine’s prisoner-of-war agency confirmed that fighters from Somalia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba, and Sri Lanka have faced similar fates. Most, officials say, “are either killed or badly injured.” The agency has even offered to negotiate Kibet’s release—if Kenya shows interest. But so far, Nairobi has stayed silent.
Back in Mount Elgon, his family clings to hope. “We feel he’s safer in Ukraine than in Russia,” Isaac admits, urging the Kenyan government to step in. To neighbours, Kibet remains the quiet, disciplined runner who trained at dawn. The thought of him carrying a gun is still unimaginable.
![Image of Mount Elgon sunrise over hills and trails]
His story now stands as a bitter lesson. From the mountain trails of Kenya to the chaos of a foreign war, Evans Kibet’s journey shows how ambition mixed with financial struggles can leave athletes open to exploitation. He dreamed of glory in stadiums, not survival on battlefields. Whether his country will bring him home remains unknown. For now, his family replays that haunting video, hoping the runner’s story doesn’t end too soon.
