Russia-Ukraine war: We ate snow and sand to survive – Ghanaian war survivor recounts

A survivor of the Russia–Ukraine war has shared a disturbing account of the extreme conditions he endured during a forced march to the frontline, revealing that severe shortages of food and water pushed him into desperate survival choices.

The young man said he was initially lured to Russia with promises of a well-paying job but was later forcibly recruited into the Russian army. He recounted a gruelling four-day journey on foot across difficult terrain, during which essential supplies quickly ran out.

“The food was not enough. Just canned food and small water… how can four bottles of water survive this?” he told JoyNews.

He explained that as conditions worsened, survival depended on whatever was available in the environment.

“At that time, we were lucky it was snowing. You chew snow with sand. You just have to survive,” he said.

According to him, hunger and exhaustion left no room for hesitation, forcing him and others to adopt extreme measures simply to stay alive.

“You mix snow and sand. It becomes something you have to accept,” he added.

He further noted that the journey was conducted in groups, with movement tightly controlled, as exhaustion forced soldiers to break off into smaller units along the way.