62 Ghanaians Dead, 15 Missing: Ablakwa Sounds Alarm Over Illegal Recruitment Into Russia‑Ukraine War
Up to 62 Ghanaians have died, with 15 others still missing, after being “illegally recruited” to fight in the ongoing Russia‑Ukraine war, Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has revealed.
In a social media update last Tuesday, following a three‑day bilateral engagement with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Mr Ablakwa described the rising casualties as a matter of grave national concern.
“An important matter to Ghana was how to stop the illegal recruitment of Ghanaian youth who are lured and end up fighting in the Russia‑Ukraine war. Unfortunately, the number of Ghanaian deaths in Russia has gone up… 62 Ghanaians have now died, and 15 remain missing.”
He welcomed Russia’s pledge to work with Ghana to halt the illegal enlistment of Ghanaian youth.
“This is not our war, and it should not be claiming Ghanaian lives. The Government of Ghana will continue to lead advocacy on this matter and ensure that our youth are protected from harm’s way.”
On a more positive note, Mr Ablakwa announced that Russia had agreed to double scholarships for Ghanaian students from 120 to 240 annually.
He said the fully funded scholarships would prioritise Artificial Intelligence, engineering, petroleum sciences and pharmaceuticals, aligning with Ghana’s long‑term development agenda.
The minister further disclosed that Ghana and Russia had agreed to advance cooperation in Ghana’s peaceful nuclear energy programme and green transition efforts. The partnership forms part of Ghana’s energy diversification plan, which aims to integrate 700 megawatts of nuclear power into the national energy mix.
He added that both countries would collaborate on global issues including counterterrorism, climate change and United Nations reforms.
Mr Ablakwa described the bilateral talks as productive, noting that they signalled a renewed commitment to strengthening cooperation in education, energy, security and multilateral diplomacy for mutual benefit.