The Russian Embassy in Ghana has accused Ukraine of using billboards displayed across Accra to spread propaganda and undermine diplomatic relations between Moscow and Accra.

In a statement issued on Thursday, November 5, 2026, the Embassy responded to the appearance of billboards carrying the slogans “I Want to Live” and “I Want to Find”, which were installed in parts of the Ghanaian capital in late October.

The billboards are linked to the Stop Russian Recruiters campaign and Ukrainian initiatives that provide information and assistance to people seeking to escape military service or locate missing relatives.

However, the Russian Embassy has challenged the campaign's credibility, describing it as an instrument of Ukrainian state propaganda rather than a genuine humanitarian initiative.

Russia Rejects Allegations of Deceptive Recruitment

The Embassy said the website StopRussianRecruiters.org was established and managed by Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War in collaboration with the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It argued that the campaign was deliberately designed to discredit Russia's image in Africa.

The diplomatic mission also rejected allegations that Russia was luring Africans, including Ghanaians, into its armed forces through misleading civilian job offers or other deceptive recruitment arrangements.

“The Russian side has never used, nor does it use, deceptive schemes to recruit foreign nationals into military service,” the Embassy stated.

It further argued that no convincing and verifiable evidence had been presented by an authoritative international body to support the allegations.

Embassy Refers to Mahama-Putin Meeting

The Russian Embassy also referred to the October 30 meeting between Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

According to the statement, Russia gave assurances during the high-level engagement that Ghanaian citizens would not serve in its military under contractual arrangements.

The Embassy consequently described the continued display of the billboards as a belated provocation that could undermine the friendly relations between Ghana and Russia.

The statement comes after Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the discussions between the two presidents had resulted in an understanding that Ghanaians would not be recruited to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Russia Turns Attention to Ukraine's Foreign Recruitment

The Embassy also accused Ukraine of hypocrisy, pointing to advertisements seeking foreign nationals for military positions within the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

It cited an October 8, 2026, publication by Ghanaian news platform YEN.com.gh, which reportedly listed nine military vacancies open to foreign applicants.

The positions included platoon commander and first-person-view drone operator.

The Russian mission further claimed that more than 20,000 foreign nationals were fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, attributing the figure to its security agencies. It did not provide detailed supporting evidence for that number in the statement.

Concerns Over Ghanaians Involved in the War

The dispute comes amid growing concerns about Ghanaian nationals who have reportedly travelled to Russia and subsequently become involved in the war against Ukraine.

Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister previously disclosed that 62 Ghanaians had died and 15 others were missing after travelling to Russia.

The Ukrainian initiative behind the billboards, meanwhile, has published its own figures concerning foreign nationals allegedly recruited into Russia's military. Those figures have not all been independently confirmed by Ghanaian authorities.

The issue has attracted attention because some families in Ghana have reportedly lost contact with relatives who travelled abroad after receiving employment opportunities.

The competing claims from Moscow and Kyiv have therefore placed the safety of Ghanaian citizens at the centre of a wider international dispute.

Diplomatic Implications for Ghana

The Russian Embassy concluded its statement by reaffirming Moscow's commitment to strengthening relations with Ghana based on mutual respect and trust.

However, the billboard controversy highlights the diplomatic challenge facing Ghana as it maintains relationships with both countries while dealing with concerns about the involvement of its citizens in the ongoing conflict.

For affected families, the most important issues remain the whereabouts and safety of missing relatives, the circumstances surrounding reported deaths, and stronger safeguards against misleading overseas employment offers.

As the disagreement over the Accra campaign continues, Ghanaians will be watching for further clarification from the government and the diplomatic missions involved.