We’re suffering; please rescue us – 14 Ghanaian migrants caught up in the Russia-Ukraine war cry out

The 14 young men, left Ghana for Russia through Togo on Sunday, August 4, 2024, on a journey they believed would turn their lives around and enable them to take good care of their families left behind in Ghana.

They had been lured by promises of securing a well-paid job in Russia, but hopes of building a better future immediately faded after they were confronted with the reality on the ground upon their arrival in Russia on August 6.

Soon after their arrival, they were transported to a city known as Kostroma to sign what they thought was an employment contract. However, to their utter shock, it turned out to be an agreement for recruitment into the Russian Army to fight against Ukraine.

The young men had been allegedly deceived by a contractor, Abraham Boakye, popularly known in Ghana’s football circles as One Man Supporter, whom they trusted.

“Two people out of the 14, said the commander, said they are going to the frontlines of the war, so they should prepare. The next day they are going; up till now, we have not heard from them.

“Abraham Boakye, popularly known as One Man Supporter, brought us here. He told us that there’s a job opportunity here in Russia, which is security work and agriculture. So we paid for our own plane ticket and visa fee. The military people brought us a contract to sign. Before, he told us that it was security work, but we would be trained by the military. So when they brought the contract, we thought it was the contract for our training.

“The day we were signing, he was not around. He was in Moscow. So we called him and informed him that the military people have brought the contract. Should we sign? Because he is the one that brought us here. He said we should go ahead and sign; don’t we have confidence in him?” one of the victims told TV3 journalist Godwin Asidiba in an interview shared on YouTube.

As of September 17, when the journalist spoke with three of the remaining survivors, they had been trapped in Donetsk, Ukraine, awaiting orders to be sent to the frontlines of the war.

“You can’t go out anywhere; even if you are going to the bathroom, the military people will follow you,” another of the victims said.

Their predicament has worsened as their passports have been seized. The 14 people who left Ghana a little over one month ago have been reduced to just three.

When one of them was asked where their remaining colleagues were, he responded that they do not know their whereabouts.

“We don’t know; just yesterday, they came to take two people out of here. We don’t know where they are going. Right now, as I talk with you, we are in Donetsk. But then, I don’t know the exact place we are in Donetsk.”

The others have disappeared; the only contact they had was from David Adu, one of the young men who escaped. He urged the remaining three to escape at any cost.

“I am pleading with all Ghanaians to help us get out of here. We assumed we were here for a security job or some agriculture work.”

The victims, who are stuck in a makeshift shelter, are terrified, as they don’t know who will be sent next to fight.

“We are presently in Ukraine, and there have been bombings day in and day out. We have no fight training experience. We are pleading; we want to return home. Please help us now; where we sleep is not good. We sleep on plywood, and it is so uncomfortable.”

They revealed that Abraham Boakye has already taken his cut from each of them, an amount of 130,000 rubles each from the fourteen of them.

They were each paid 400,000 rubles for a war they never agreed to fight. They are desperate to return to Ghana to reunite with their families.

“My family is in Accra, but then I have not told my mom about it because my mom is suffering from stroke and BP. If I should tell her about it right now, you know what is going to happen,” one of them said.

According to the journalist, several efforts to reach Abraham Boakye for his side of the story have proved futile, leaving many unanswered questions.

Meanwhile, attempts by GhanaWeb to get a reaction from the Russian Embassy in Ghana on the alleged recruitment of Ghanaians to fight in the war against Ukraine have yet to receive a response.