Aniefiok Christopher
The Embassy of the Russian Federation in Ghana has dithered on reports linking a supposed Russian citizen to sexual activities with some Ghanaian women.
This comes after several media outlets reported that the man allegedly lured the women to his hotel room, secretly filmed them during sexual encounters, and shared the videos online, sparking public outrage across social media.
Russian man known as Yaytselav, who allegedly engaged in sexual acts with Ghanaian and Kenyan women and posted videos of the encounters on his social media.
African and Russian media identified the suspect as a self-styled “pick-up artist” and online blogger in his 30s, though unconfirmed reports indicate that Yaytselav’s real name is Vyacheslav Trahov.
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Straightnews gathered that the Russian national convinced about 24 women both married and singles, who eventually went to his hotel and had sexual encounters with him, which he later posted on his Telegram, Youtube and TikTok accounts.
Yaytselav allegedly used AI glasses to film himself during these acts, claiming that it was a “social experiment.”
Many Ghanaians, women’s rights groups, and advocacy organizations have condemned the acts, calling for stronger protection of privacy and strict enforcement against non consensual sharing of intimate content.
In its post, the embassy said it was aware of the reports and is monitoring the situation closely, but it did not confirm the identity or nationality of the individual involved.
“The Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Ghana has taken note of the reports in the Ghanaian media on the alleged involvement of a supposedly Russian citizen engaged in sexual activities with some Ghanaian women and recorded and circulated those acts without consent,” they noted.
Meanwhile, authorities in Kenya and Ghana are said to be examining reports that a Russian man covertly filmed sexual encounters with women in the two African nations, then shared the footage online without their consent.
Ghana said it intends to request that the man be extradited from Russia, while Kenya’s government says it is pursuing the case “with urgency”.
News reports allege that the suspect had travelled to Ghana to secretly film his interactions with women.
An initial investigation has established that the suspect has likely left the country, Ghana’s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection said.
It added that the man’s departure would “not reduce the seriousness of the alleged conduct or the state’s responsibility to pursue accountability”.
Ghanaian Technology Minister Sam George said he had asked the Russian ambassador in the capital, Accra, for Moscow’s cooperation in getting justice for the victims.
However, Russia does not extradite its citizens, except in extreme circumstances.
On Monday, Russia’s embassy in Ghana said it had “taken note” of the reports, but did not state whether the Russian authorities would co-operate with Accra’s investigation.
George told BBC News that he had invited the Russian ambassador to discuss the alleged incident.
Earlier, the minister had told reporters: “That gentleman will be looked for, we will activate every resource in our disposal working with Interpol.
“We will request the Russian authorities – and that is why I have invited the Russian ambassador – to work with our law enforcement.
“We want the gentleman to be brought back to Ghana, extradited to Ghana for him to face the rigours of our law.”
George said they would try the suspect in absentia if he failed to return to Ghana.
The same man has been accused of committing similar illegal acts in Kenya.
Hanna Cheptumo, Kenya’s minister of gender, culture and children services, described the incident as a “serious” case of gender-based violence.
In a statement on Monday, Cheptumo added: “Relevant security, investigative and prosecutorial agencies have been directed to pursue the matter with urgency, including collaboration with international authorities given the cross-border nature of the case.”
Under Kenya’s Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018, anyone who publishes intimate images of another person, with or without their consent, faces up to two years in prison.
Ghana also introduced new laws under the Cybersecurity Act 2020 to punish those who share nude photos or videos online, especially of women and children, often for revenge or blackmail. Perpetrators face up to 25 years in jail.
Authorities in Ghana have been paying increasing attention to online abuse, including sexual extortion and romance scams.
There has been an increase in arrests in recent years for these offences.
In 2022, a court sentenced a 22-year-old phone repairer, Solomon Doga, to 14 years in prison for sharing nude images of a Lebanese woman.
He pleaded guilty to sexual extortion and non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
