At least 55 Ghanaians killed in Russia-Ukraine war, minister says
At least 55 Ghanaians have been killed fighting in the war in Ukraine, with two others currently held as prisoners of war, Ghana’s foreign affairs minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said.
Speaking on a trip to Kyiv, Ablakwa said about 272 Ghanaians are believed to have been lured into the conflict since 2022, citing Ukrainian authorities. He described the figures as “depressing and frightening,” adding that Ghana “cannot turn a blind eye to these heartbreaking statistics.”
He did not specify which side the Ghanaians were fighting for, but Ukraine’s foreign minister said that more than 1,700 people from 36 African countries had been recruited to fight for Russia. The 55 Ghanaian casualties are the highest number confirmed from a single African country in the conflict.
Ablakwa said the casualties “represent human lives, the hope of many Ghanaian families and our nation” and emphasised that the Ghanaian government is committed to tracking and dismantling illegal recruitment schemes while raising public awareness to prevent youth from joining the war.
On Thursday, a Kenyan national was charged with luring young men to Russia with job offers that led them to fight in Ukraine. Festus Arasa Omwamba denied the charges. Reports indicate that about 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited to fight for Russia.
Ablakwa also urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to release the two Ghanaian prisoners of war, describing them as “victims of manipulation, of disinformation, misinformation, of criminal trafficking networks.” He said the detainees were in good health and had not been subjected to inhumane treatment.
One of the prisoners, 35-year-old Joshua Nkrumah, left his pregnant wife in Dubai in July 2024 believing he had secured a private security job in Russia. He was captured by Ukrainian forces in September 2024 after surviving a drone strike, and his family has had no contact with him since.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian and Ghanaian officials are discussing the possible return of the prisoners. South Africa has also reported casualties and injuries among its nationals, and Ukrainian authorities have warned that anyone fighting for Russia will be treated as an enemy combatant, with surrender as the only safe option.
Credit: BBC
