The Russian Embassy in Ghana has officially acknowledged media reports alleging that a Russian national secretly recorded sexual encounters with Ghanaian women without their consent and distributed the footage online, sparking widespread public outrage.
In a statement posted on Monday, February 16, 2026, the Embassy stated: “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 those acts without consent.”
The Embassy stopped short of confirming the suspect’s identity, nationality, or any verification of the claims, and did not indicate whether it had initiated contact with Ghanaian authorities regarding the matter.
The statement comes amid escalating public concern following the viral spread of videos purportedly showing a man—identified in various reports as Yaytseslav (real name Vyacheslav Trahov or Vladislav Lyulkov), a self-described Russian “pick-up artist” and online blogger—approaching women in public spaces like the Accra Mall, engaging them in conversation, leading some to his hotel or residence, and later posting explicit recordings of intimate acts on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and a paid Telegram channel.
The non-consensual recording and sharing of intimate images constitute serious criminal offences under Ghana’s Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038), with penalties including imprisonment. Authorities have also warned the public against further sharing or republishing the videos, as doing so could attract additional criminal liability.
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has strongly condemned the alleged acts as forms of digital sexual exploitation and a grave violation of victims’ dignity, privacy, and rights.
In a statement issued earlier, the Ministry noted that the suspect may have left Ghana but affirmed that the severity of the allegations remains unchanged, promising swift and decisive measures, including support for victims such as counselling and legal aid.
The Government of Ghana has escalated its response by announcing plans to seek the extradition of the suspect to face prosecution domestically. Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George (commonly known as Sam George), revealed that the Cyber Security Authority is actively compiling evidence on the case.
In interviews with journalists and media outlets, including the BBC and local stations, the Minister confirmed he has formally invited the Russian Ambassador in Accra for discussions on the matter and cooperation.
He emphasized Ghana’s determination to use all available resources, including collaboration with Interpol and diplomatic channels, to locate the suspect and secure his return.
“We want the gentleman to be brought back to Ghana, extradited to Ghana for him to face the rigours of our law,” Minister George stated, describing the non-consensual recording and sharing as clear crimes under Ghanaian legislation.