Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has revealed that 62 Ghanaian nationals have lost their lives and 15 others are still unaccounted for after travelling to Russia during the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
The minister shared the update at a press briefing in Moscow after holding bilateral discussions with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. In a follow-up message on X, Ablakwa stated that the death toll among Ghanaians in Russia had risen, confirming the figures of 62 fatalities and 15 missing persons who had journeyed there.
A central topic raised in the talks with Lavrov was the need to halt the reported illegal recruitment of Ghanaian citizens. These individuals are often enticed to Russia with job offers and later forced or coerced into military service linked to the war.
Ablakwa highlighted Ghana’s particular worry about young people who accept promises of employment only to find themselves drawn into the fighting. He noted that the Russian authorities have committed to collaborating with Ghana to prevent such unlawful enlistment of its citizens.
The minister affirmed that the Ghanaian government will keep pressing Russian officials and pushing for stronger safeguards to shield its people from being pulled into the conflict.
“This is not our war, and it should not be claiming Ghanaian lives,” he stressed.
The announcement comes against a backdrop of growing reports that some Ghanaians are being recruited under the pretence of work opportunities before being sent to take part in military operations.
