A black plume of smoke billows behind highrise buildings in the sky during an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City on October 9, 2023. - Israel relentlessly pounded the Gaza Strip overnight and into October 9 as fighting with Hamas continued around the Gaza Strip, as the death toll from the war against the Palestinian militants surged above 1,100. (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS / AFP)

No fewer than 14 young men from Ghana, allegedly lured by promises of lucrative jobs in Russia, have found themselves trapped in a dangerous situation after being deceived by a contractor in Ghana.ghanians in russia

The men, full of hope for a better future, embarked on a journey that was meant to change their lives.

TV3 Ghana reports that meanwhile, they had left their families behind, assured by the contractor that promising opportunities awaited them in Russia. But what they encountered was far from the life they envisioned.

However, upon arrival in Russia, they were forced to sign contracts requiring them to fight in Ukraine—a conflict they had no knowledge or training for.

According to the men, the man, who facilitated the entire process, took a significant cut of 130,000 rubles from each of them as part of the so-called job placement.

The Ghanaians were then paid 400,000 rubles for their involvement in the war, a situation they never agreed to and were ill-prepared for.

Now, they are desperate to return home alive, with their futures hanging in uncertainty. Their hopes of a better life have been shattered, but they remain resilient, determined to find a way back to Ghana.

One of the victims said, “We are in an uncompleted building and this is one of the buildings that is destroyed.”

The victims told Godwin Asediba, a journalist at TV3, that it all began on Sunday, August 4th, 2024, when they said their goodbyes and boarded a plane, filled with dreams of success and providing for their loved ones.

They arrived in Russia on August 6th after travelling through Togo. Their hearts were filled with anticipation, but from the moment they landed, things took a chilling turn.

They explained that upon arrival, they were taken to Kostroma, a city in western Russia, to sign what they believed were employment contracts.

One of the victims said, “Abraham Boakye, popularly known as One Man Supporter in Ghana, he brought us here and told us there’s a job opportunity over here in Russia, which is security work, and then agriculture. So we paid for our own plane tickets and visa fees.

“The military people brought us a contract to sign and before, he told us that it’s a security work that will be trained by the military. So when the military people brought their contracts, we thought it’s the training that, they were coming to train us.

He added that the day they were signing, Abraham was not around, he was in Moscow.

“So we called him and told him that they have brought the contract to sign, should we sign, because he is the one who brought us here, and he said, oh, don’t you trust me”?

Meanwhile, as of September 17, the three of remaining survivors were trapped in Donetsk, Ukraine, awaiting orders to be sent to the front line of the war.

However, two people out of the 14 said, that the commander said, they are going to front line, so they should prepare the next day they are going, up to now, we have not heard from them, the victim said.

“You can’t go out anywhere, even if you are going to private, the security and the military follow you.

Meanwhile, their passports have been seized, and the 14 who left Ghana together have now been reduced to just three.

“We don’t know where they are, just yesterday, they came to take two people out of three. And you don’t know where you are going to next?

“We don’t know where they are going to, right now as I am talking, we are in Donetsk but then, I don’t know the exact place we are in Donetsk.”
The others have disappeared and the only contact they’ve had is from David Edu, one of the men who managed to get in touch, urging the remaining three to escape at any cost.

“We don’t have any freedom, I am pleading with all Ghanaians to help us get out of here, we assumed we were here for a security job.
They live in constant fear, stuck in a makeshift shelter, unsure who will be next to be sent to fight.

“We are in Ukraine, and there have been shootings and we have no fight training experience, where are sleeping is not good.
“We are pleading, we want to return home,” they said.

One of the victims said, “My family is in Accra, but then I haven’t told my mum about it because my mom is suffering from stroke and BP.

“If I should tell her about this right now, you know what is going to happen.”