The Government of Ghana has summoned the Russian Ambassador following public outrage over the alleged unlawful recording and online circulation of sexually explicit videos involving Ghanaian women by a man believed to be a Russian national.
Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed on Tuesday that the diplomatic action was taken after authorities accused the suspect of violating Ghanaian laws and the privacy rights of multiple victims.
“Russian Ambassador summoned on my instructions as Government of Ghana protests unlawful conduct of supposed Russian. We shall firmly pursue justice in this matter,” Ablakwa wrote on X.
In a press release dated February 17, 2026, Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Russia’s Ambassador to Ghana, Sergei Berdnikov, was formally summoned to register the government’s “strong displeasure” over the incident.
According to the ministry, the summons followed allegations that a man described as a supposed Russian national unlawfully published intimate images of Ghanaian women without their consent.
“The objective of the summons was to formally express the strong displeasure of the Government of Ghana at the atrocious conduct of the supposed Russian which clearly violates Ghanaian law, and to seek the cooperation of Russia in pursuing justice,” the statement said.
The government described the act as a grave violation of the victims’ dignity and privacy, stressing that authorities would pursue all available international legal options to ensure accountability.
During the meeting, Ambassador Berdnikov reportedly acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and the cybercrime implications of the case, while pledging cooperation with Ghanaian authorities.
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However, the minister stated that Russian officials could not immediately confirm the nationality of the individual at the centre of the scandal.
He also indicated that the name circulating online was not recognisable as a legitimate Russian name, describing it instead as an inappropriate or vulgar expression in the Russian language.
Despite this uncertainty, the ambassador disclosed that similar activities linked to the suspect had surfaced in other countries and were already under investigation by Russian authorities.
The embassy, he added, was willing to share relevant information to assist Ghana’s efforts to apprehend the suspect, even though both countries currently lack a legally binding extradition treaty.
The diplomatic move comes amid broader investigations by Ghanaian authorities into alleged digital sexual exploitation involving the suspect, identified in viral social media posts as “Yaytseslav” or “Vyacheslav Trahov.”
Earlier, Ghana’s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection announced that it was coordinating with law enforcement agencies and international partners to pursue cross-border legal action.
“The non-consensual recording and distribution of intimate images is a criminal offence and a clear violation of dignity and privacy,” the ministry said in a February 14 statement.
Officials disclosed that authorities had already activated digital safety interventions, including engagement with online platforms to remove abusive content and strengthen reporting mechanisms against image-based sexual abuse.
The ministry added that psychosocial care and legal assistance were being provided to affected individuals through confidential channels to protect their identities and wellbeing.
It also confirmed ongoing collaboration with the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies to explore mutual legal assistance arrangements aimed at bringing the suspect to justice.
