NIGERIA TV INFO — INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Ghana Confirms 55 Nationals Killed in Ukraine War, Two Held as POWs

At least 55 Ghanaians have been killed while fighting in the ongoing war in Ukraine, with two others currently being held as prisoners of war, Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed.

According to reports by the BBC, Ablakwa made the disclosure during an official trip to Kyiv. He cited Ukrainian authorities as saying that about 272 Ghanaians are believed to have been drawn into the conflict since 2022.

Describing the situation as “depressing and frightening,” the minister stressed that Ghana “cannot turn a blind eye to these heartbreaking statistics.”

Although Ablakwa did not specify which side the deceased Ghanaians had been fighting for, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister stated earlier this week that more than 1,700 individuals from 36 African countries had been recruited to fight for Russia in the war.

The confirmation of 55 deaths marks the highest number of officially acknowledged casualties from a single African country in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War.

In comparison, local media in Cameroon have reported that 94 of its nationals have died in the conflict, though Cameroonian authorities have yet to formally confirm those figures. Reports also indicate that two South Africans and at least one Kenyan have lost their lives in the war.

Ablakwa emphasized that the casualties are “not just numbers,” adding that they represent “human lives, the hope of many Ghanaian families and our nation.”

The development raises growing concerns across Africa over the recruitment of citizens into foreign conflicts, particularly as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues with no immediate end in sight.