1,780 African mercenaries from 36 countries are fighting on the side of Russia – Ghanaian Foreign Ministry
Фото: СЗРУ
Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakawa has reported that 1,780 Africans from 36 countries have been involved in the war against Ukraine by Russia. According to him, 272 Ghanaian citizens have been involved in the war since 2022, 55 of whom have died, and 2 are still in captivity.
He wrote about this on Facebook .
According to the minister, the Ukrainian authorities, citing their own intelligence data, informed about the number of Africans who were involved in the war.
“They documented 1,780 Africans from 36 countries who were lured by criminal human trafficking networks to join the war against Ukraine,” said Samuel Okudzeto Ablakawa.
He noted that an estimated 272 Ghanaians have been caught up in the war since 2022. He said 55 of them have died and another 2 have been captured as soldiers.
“As a responsible government, we cannot turn a blind eye to these painful statistics. These are not just numbers, they represent human lives, the hope of many Ghanaian families and our nation. For this reason, the government is determined to raise awareness and embark on an intensive public education campaign to protect our youth,” said Samuel Okudzeto Ablakawa.
The minister also added that the administration of Ghanaian President John Magama is committed to monitoring and eliminating illegal recruitment schemes for war within its jurisdiction.
“This is not our war and we cannot allow our youth to become human shields for others,” said Ghana’s foreign minister.
By the way, Russia is increasing its influence in African countries, combining humanitarian initiatives with covert military recruitment . As of the end of 2025, more than 1,400 citizens from 36 African countries are fighting on the side of Moscow or are involved in work in the interests of the Russian defense-industrial complex.
Recall that the Kenyan parliament stated that Russia recruited more than a thousand of its citizens to participate in the war against Ukraine . Earlier, it was reported that mercenaries from Africa who fought on the side of Russia against Ukraine received Russian passports.
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