Kwaku, a Ghanaian, joined the Russian army in December 2023 after initially traveling to Russia as a tourist. In an interview with DJ Nyaami on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide, he revealed that he had no prior plans to enlist until he saw an army recruitment advert promising a high salary. Tempted by the financial offer and the potential to eventually gain Russian citizenship, he decided to sign up.
“I came to Russia for tourism, but when I saw the army advert and the amount of money involved, I changed my mind,” he said. “I wanted to get their passport too.”
Before officially joining, Kwaku confided in his younger sister, sending her a copy of the contract and asking her to keep it a secret. “I knew I was going to the war front. I could die, survive, or even return with one leg or arm,” he admitted.
Kwaku detailed has been to Qatar, Dubai, Colombia, Argentina, and South Africa before.
“They taught us how to shoot, use drones, and do physical exercises. We trained in the jungle for 2–3 weeks and later spent 15 days in Ukraine for further training before being sent to the frontline.”
He addressed a widely circulated report about a Ghanaian bank manager who died while serving.
“He wasn’t shot, and he wasn’t even at the frontline. He died out of shock,” Kwaku clarified.
Describing his own experience at the frontline, Kwaku said,
“When we arrived, four soldiers died that same day. They had told us earlier that we wouldn’t be sent to the front, only to support. But that wasn’t the case. Out of the 48 of us, only five returned. Some were killed; others were captured.”
Equipped with an AK-12 and a walkie-talkie, Kwaku and a fellow soldier made a desperate decision to escape. “I saw how people were dying, so I told my friend we should shoot each other to create an excuse to retreat. He shot me, and I shot him back. Then we ran and walked for three hours to reach the green zone.”
After reaching safety, Kwaku was taken to a hospital, where he spent three months recovering. During that time, he also reported on who had died or survived. After only a week of rest, they were sent back to the frontline.
“We were told if we managed to capture any land, there would be rewards,” he added, though he didn’t elaborate on what those rewards would be.
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