Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has disclosed that at least 62 Ghanaians who were allegedly lured into fighting for Russia in the Russia-Ukraine war have been killed, while another 15 remain missing.
Ablakwa revealed the figures following high-level talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, where he also secured Russia’s commitment to work with Ghana to halt the illegal recruitment of Ghanaian nationals into the conflict.
The latest figure represents an increase from the 55 deaths disclosed by the Minister in February following his official visit to Ukraine, where he raised concerns over the recruitment of Ghanaian nationals into Russia’s war effort.
During that visit, Ablakwa met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv, with discussions focusing on the protection of Ghanaian nationals caught up in the conflict. He specifically appealed for the release and protection of two Ghanaians being held as prisoners of war in Ukraine.
At the time, Ablakwa disclosed that 272 Ghanaians were believed to have been lured into the conflict since 2022, with 55 reported dead and two captured as prisoners of war. He said many of those recruited had travelled to Russia after responding to what they believed were legitimate employment opportunities.
The latest disclosure brings the reported death toll to 62, while the number of Ghanaians whose whereabouts remain unknown stands at 15. In his meeting with Lavrov, Ablakwa said the recruitment of Ghanaian youth into the conflict was becoming an increasingly serious concern for the government.
“I must also place on record that in our bilateral meeting we raised the matter of a growing number of Ghanaian youth who are being lured to fight in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and we are seeing an increase in casualties. About 62 Ghanaians have lost their lives and 15 of them are missing,” he stated.
Ablakwa attributed much of the recruitment to illegal networks that allegedly target young Africans with deceptive offers of employment before sending them to the battlefield. He said Russia had reaffirmed its willingness to work with Ghana to dismantle such networks and prevent further recruitment of Ghanaian nationals without the knowledge of the two governments.
“So I did raise the matter and I’m happy with the response from Foreign Minister Lavrov, who has pledged that we can work together to stop these illegal recruitments happening on the blind side of our two governments, so that we can protect the lives of young people who are being lured onto the front lines,” he said.
Ghana has previously intensified public education campaigns warning young people against deceptive overseas employment opportunities linked to the war. The government has also launched investigations into alleged criminal recruitment networks after reports that 272 Ghanaians had been drawn into the conflict through fraudulent employment schemes.
According to some media sources, the reported offers included jobs in construction, hospitality, logistics and security before recruits were allegedly diverted into military service.
The recruitment of Ghanaians forms part of a wider African phenomenon. During Ablakwa’s February visit to Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said about 1,700 African nationals from other countries were fighting alongside Russian forces. By May 2026, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said at least 2,965 nationals from 36 African countries had either served or were serving in the Russian military in the war against Ukraine, although Ukrainian officials cautioned that the actual figure could be higher.
The African Center for Strategic Studies has described the recruitment as an extensive pipeline involving online recruiters and deceptive employment offers. Its research found that young Africans were often attracted by promises of jobs, training or lucrative opportunities in Russia before being channelled into military service or work supporting the Russian war effort. The organisation characterised the phenomenon as involving elements of human trafficking, coercion, disinformation and foreign interference.
Investigations have also documented recruitment networks operating through social media and employment channels. In Kenya, for example, a National Intelligence Service report presented to Parliament estimated that more than 1,000 Kenyans had been recruited to fight for Russia, with officials pointing to rogue recruitment agencies and individuals targeting people seeking employment abroad. Russia has denied allegations of state-backed illegal recruitment, while maintaining that foreign nationals can voluntarily enlist in its armed forces.
Other investigations have identified a broader recruitment infrastructure across Africa. The Africa Center for Strategic Studies found that online recruiters have helped create a pipeline drawing recruits from countries across the continent, while investigations by international media have documented cases in which Africans were promised civilian jobs in Russia and subsequently found themselves in military training or on the battlefield.
The scale of the recruitment has prompted several African governments to intensify warnings and diplomatic engagement. Kenya, Ghana and other countries have sought information about their nationals and called for greater scrutiny of recruitment networks. Ghana’s Foreign Ministry says it is working with domestic security and migration agencies to investigate the recruitment of its citizens and strengthen public education on safe migration.
For Ghana, the issue has now become a significant consular and diplomatic concern, with the government seeking cooperation from both Russia and Ukraine to establish the whereabouts and welfare of affected nationals. Ablakwa said the latest commitment from Moscow provides an opportunity for the two countries to work jointly to dismantle recruitment networks and prevent more Ghanaian youth from being drawn into a conflict thousands of kilometres from home.
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