Kenyan athlete who went to Russia for a competition was captured in Ukraine

A Kenyan athlete who was mobilized in Russia and sent to fight has been captured in Ukraine. According to Sport24.az, a video released last week by the 57th Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian army shows 36-year-old runner Evans Kibet begging not to be returned to Russia.     According to Kibet, he went to Russia to participate in a competition. After the competition, the manager of the hotel where he was staying offered him a job in Russia. Kibet agreed and signed a document written in Russian given to him by the manager, and was soon taken to the front in a military vehicle. Kibet says in the video that his phone and passport were also taken by the hotel manager.   After a 7-hour drive, the athlete found himself in a military camp. Here he was told that if he did not fight, he would be killed. He says that after that he underwent a week of initial training, where he was only taught how to use an automatic weapon. Since none of his commanders spoke English, instructions were given with gestures.   Kibet insists that he never went into battle and dropped his equipment and ran while going to his first assignment. He spent two days wandering in the forest in northeastern Ukraine, near Vovchansk, Kharkiv region.   Then he saw Ukrainian soldiers and approached them and surrendered: "I said I am a citizen of Kenya, please don't shoot me. Everyone pointed their guns at me, but I told them to calm down. The commander came, they tied my hands.   Family members speaking to the BBC said that Kibet was facing financial difficulties, which is why he went to competitions in different countries.