Ghana Accuses Russia of Recruiting Ghanaians to Fight in War Against Ukraine

Ghana has accused Russia of illegally recruiting its citizens to serve in the Russian Armed Forces and take part in the war against Ukraine.

Bloomberg reports this.

Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa told reporters in Moscow on Monday that his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, gave assurances during their meeting that the recruitment of Ghanaian citizens would be stopped.

So far, 62 Ghanaian nationals fighting for Russia have been killed in Ukraine, while another 15 are still missing.

The number of Ghanaians killed while fighting alongside Russian forces has increased from 55 in February, when Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa first raised the issue.

Lavrov confirmed that Ghanaian citizens had signed contracts with Russia’s Ministry of Defense, but said they did so “out of solidarity with a country that had also helped them fight racism” and for financial reasons.

According to Ukrainian intelligence data from February 27, more than 1,780 Africans from 36 countries are fighting in the Russian Armed Forces, including 272 Ghanaians, Ghana’s foreign minister added. According to him, the promised salaries ranged from $30,000 to $40,000 per year.

Russia’s recruitment of Africans to replenish its depleted forces in Ukraine has raised concerns across the region. Kenya and South Africa have secured the repatriation of their citizens who were allegedly deceived into signing contracts with the Russian military.

In July, Botswana’s authorities also reported the recruitment of their citizens to fight in the war against Ukraine. Panama later made similar accusations against Russia.

According to The Telegraph, in 2025, Russia lured around 18,000 citizens from 128 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America into the war. At least 3,300 of them were killed in combat.