Kenyan athlete Evans Cyibet says

With tears in his eyes, a young Kenyan athlete, who is now held captive in Ukraine, does not admit that he is not sent back to Russia.

“I will die there,” says Evans Cyibet, waving his hands in the air towards an invisible interview in a video released on Wednesday by a Ukrainian army brigade.

A 36-year-old prisoner in the war wears red sport. The brigade flag is fixed behind him.

Seeking running, seeking to join the Russian army and desperately wants to return home to see his 16-year-old daughter.

In a Facebook report that accompanies the video, the 57 -I was a separate motorized infantry brigade stated that this is an example of how Russia treats foreign recruits, but added that he “fought on the enemy’s side, so he believes that words and tears depend on your opinion.”

The brigade stated that the interview was withdrawn with the consent of the Cyibet, but the BBC did not check it. Although recruits from the border in the Russian army are not heard, this is a rare case when the prisoner appears on the video.

Somalia, Sierra Leone, Tag, Cuba and Sri Lanka, among others, are currently being held in the Ukrainian camps of prisoners, a spokesman for the treatment of military prisoners, BBC said.

“Most of these people come from poor countries and hit the Russian side. Some are cheating – they promise work at the factories – and others come to war voluntarily. It is important to understand that few of them are passionate; most are either killed,” he added.

Back in Kenya, the family and Kybit’s friends are shocked for what they saw.

After a strong sigh and a long pause, his cousin Edith Chess told the BBC that she beat the video again and again in her head.

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

Cyibet’s younger brother, Isaac Kipiyg, called him “a humble guy and a man with a few words”, as well as a pillar and advisor for the rest of the family.

They know him as anyone, dedicated to his sport.

“I like to run, I love running,” Kybit says in a Ukrainian video. And this may have made him become an involuntary Russian conscript.

Cyibet built his life around athletics, sports that raised a lot of Kenyans, as he, from the villages, to global recognition.

He grew up in a family of agriculture from the Mount -Elgon area in Western Kenya.

Cyibet trained in Itena, a high -rise city, which was engaged in the production of Olympians and world champions, but in the competitive sphere he never reached this status. Instead, he competed in less famous road races in 10 km and half marathon in Europe and Asia, according to family and friends.

“Cyibet works as a child,” his younger brother said. “He was always talented. Running was his life.”

But while the sport determined his personality, he did not express the financial breakthrough he longed for.

Friends say Cyibet fought financially.

In March, he asked for Elias’ training partner to help him go to Poland, but the team that was already complete.

“I suppose that he found himself in Russia,” said the BBC Kiptum.

Later, this year, the sports agent offered him a trip to Russia to take part in the races, Cyibet took the opportunity. BBC’s calls to the agent confirm this was not selected.

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

His cousin, Mrs. Chesse, who spent him on the bus fleet at the first stage of the journey in late July, said he only had a “driver with a small size”.

Cyles told his family that he would only take two weeks.

In the video shot in Ukraine, Cyibet says he went to Russia as a visitor rather than “military work”.

Then, after half a month, his master asked him if he wanted to stay longer.

“I said,” Yes, but the problem is that my visa is over. He said, “No, I can do something for you.” And then he promised to work.

“In the evening he came with some documents written in Russian. He said to me,” This is the work I want you to do. “

“I didn’t know it was military work.”

Cyibet says he then signed the documents, and the man took the phone and passport.

“And here’s how it went wrong … that signing it ruined my life.”

According to Cyibet, some other people appeared and told him to get into the car. Then they drove about seven hours.

“I found myself in a military camp.”

Cyibet says he was told that he had signed up the army and that he had no choice.

“I was told,” Either you go into battle or we will kill you. “

He says that a weekly preparation week was held, during which he was shown how he handles an automatic rifle. None of his commanders talked in English, so the instructions went through the shutters and gestures.

Cyibet insists that he never participated in the battles, and then on his way to his first mission, he threw the equipment and fled, wandering the forest near Vouchansk in the northeast region of Kharkiva.

He then addressed some Ukrainian soldiers.

“I went there with my hands,” he says, repeating the gesture for the camera.

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

“Everyone sent a weapon to me, but I told them to calm down. The commander came, they tied me. I said to them,” No, I’m unarmed, I don’t want anything. I’m here to save my life. “

Despite the fact that Kybit’s family is shocked over the video, there is some kind of relief that he is in the hands of Ukrainians.

“We feel that he is a little safe (with them) and not in Russia,” said his brother Mr. Kipig.

The family asks the Kenya authorities to interfere. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet responded to a comment.

“If the government of his country of origin expresses interest in his repatriation, Ukraine is open to negotiate him to hand him home,” said Ukraine’s secretary, Mr. Jatsenko.

However, speaking of other prisoners, he added that “most African states show little interest in the return of such citizens and do not want to return them.”

For loved ones, their only priority is his safety.

“If he was wrong, let them forgive them. We only want to return it,” his brother said.