Ghana’s Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa has revealed that 55 Ghanaians have been killed while fighting in Ukraine, describing the situation as “depressing and frightening.”
In a post on X on Friday, February 27, Ablakwa said the government had been informed that 272 Ghanaians were believed to have been lured into the conflict since 2022, with 55 confirmed dead and two captured as prisoners of war.
“We cannot turn a blind eye to these heartbreaking statistics. These are not just numbers, they represent human lives, the hope of many Ghanaian families and our nation,” he wrote after meeting his Ukrainian counterpart in Kyiv.
Ukraine said earlier this week that more than 1,780 citizens from 36 African countries had been identified among Russian forces. Ablakwa said Ghana’s government was “committed to tracking and dismantling all dark web illegal recruitment schemes operating within our jurisdiction,” amid growing concerns that African nationals are being deceived with promises of jobs before being deployed to the frontlines.
AFP reporters in late 2025 met prisoners of war from Kenya, Togo, Cameroon and Nigeria. Several Africans have alleged they were promised lucrative civilian employment in Russia but were instead forced to sign military contracts and sent into combat with minimal training.
In Kenya, a key figure accused of facilitating the recruitment of more than 1,000 nationals to fight for Russia was charged with human trafficking on Thursday, according to the state prosecutor.
South Africa has also reported similar cases. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said 15 men who were reportedly tricked into joining mercenary forces were recently repatriated, though several remain in Russia and at least two have died in the conflict.
The revelations have intensified scrutiny over alleged recruitment networks targeting African nationals amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
