The Russian Embassy in Ghana has dismissed an anti-recruitment billboard campaign mounted on the streets of Accra as Ukrainian state propaganda, insisting that Moscow does not use deceptive means to recruit Ghanaians into its military.
In a statement issued on November 5, 2026, the Embassy accused Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs of orchestrating the campaign through the website StopRussianRecruiters.org.
The campaign, which featured billboards bearing the messages “I want to live” and “I want to find”, warns against alleged deceptive recruitment of Africans, including Ghanaians, into Russia’s military.
However, the Russian Embassy described the allegations as false and accused Ukraine of using the campaign to undermine Russia’s relations with African countries.
It further claimed that the campaign had become unnecessary following President John Dramani Mahama’s visit to Russia and his meeting with President Vladimir Putin, during which Moscow allegedly gave assurances that Ghanaians would not be recruited into its military on contractual terms.
The Embassy also accused Ukraine of hypocrisy, citing advertisements published in Ghanaian media offering military positions to foreign nationals, including Africans, in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
It referenced an October 8 publication by YEN.com.gh listing nine military vacancies open to foreign nationals, including platoon commander and FPV drone operator positions.
The Russian Embassy further claimed that more than 20,000 foreign mercenaries were fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, alleging that foreign recruits were being used as expendable fighters in the conflict.
It urged Ghanaians to treat information from organisations it considers affiliated with Ukrainian state institutions with caution, while reaffirming Moscow’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Accra.
The Embassy’s statement comes amid competing narratives over the recruitment of African nationals into the Russia-Ukraine war, an issue that has raised concerns about the vulnerability of Africans seeking employment opportunities abroad.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
