Russia will not recruit Ghanaian citizens to fight in the war in Ukraine: Putin promised
Citizens of Ghana cannot go to war on their own personal initiative either.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to ban the recruitment of Ghanaian citizens into the war with Ukraine. This was announced by Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, DW reports.
According to him, Putin gave the corresponding promise at a meeting with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama in the Kremlin following the Russia-Africa third summit. The ban will apply both to cases of illegal recruitment and to citizens participating in the war on their own initiative.
Earlier, the UN Independent International Commission investigating war crimes in Ukraine accused Russia of engaging in human trafficking by sending foreign mercenary fighters to the front through deception.
According to Kyiv's latest data, Russia has recruited more than 28,000 foreigners from 135 countries into its army. More than 5,000 of them have been killed in the war. At least 213 foreigners are being held as prisoners of war in Ukraine. Of these, 37 are citizens of African countries.
For information, in February 2026, the publication "Vajnie istorii" wrote about Ghanaian Kelvin Edjire. He initially served in the Russian army, and later encouraged his compatriots to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense.
