Daniel Angel Masie Nchama had no idea what he was getting into when Russian recruiters sent the him from Equatorial Guinea into battle in war-ravaged Ukraine. On arrival in Russia, he said he and the other prospective recruits were asked to sign documents in Russian, a language none of them spoke. When he took out his phone to try to help him understand them, a Russian soldier placed his weapon on the table. With him were "many Africans", including "another Equatorial Guinean, but also Cameroonians, Nigerians, Libyans, and also Colombians", he said. The Equatorial Guinean government swiftly declared it would take "diplomatic steps" to secure his release.