The Government of Ghana has opened investigations into a Russian national accused of secretly recording intimate encounters with women in Ghana and distributing the footage online without their consent.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection described the alleged conduct as a criminal offence under Ghanaian law.
“The non-consensual recording and distribution of intimate images is a criminal offence and a clear violation of dignity and privacy,” the ministry said, adding that although the suspect has likely left Ghana, this “does not reduce the seriousness of the alleged conduct or the state’s responsibility to pursue accountability.”
The suspect, known online as Yaytseslav, has been identified by Russian media as 36-year-old Vladislav Lyulkov from Ulyanovsk, Russia. He reportedly presented himself as a content creator and approached women in public places in Accra, including around the Accra Mall area. Some of the recorded material was later circulated on social media platforms and through a subscription-based Telegram channel.
Ghana’s Communications Minister, Sam George, said the government is pursuing international cooperation.
“That gentleman will be looked for. We will activate every resource at our disposal working with Interpol,” he said. “We want the gentleman to be brought back to Ghana, extradited to Ghana for him to face the rigours of our law.”
Under Section 67 of Ghana’s Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038), distributing intimate images of an identifiable person without consent carries a potential prison term of up to 25 years.
The Ghana Police Service is working with other security agencies and international partners as part of the investigation.
The case has also drawn scrutiny in Kenya, where similar allegations have been reported. Kenya’s Minister for Gender, Culture and Children Services, Hanna Cheptumo, described the situation as a serious case of gender-based violence and said authorities had been directed to pursue the matter urgently.
One Kenyan woman who appeared in some of the circulated footage has spoken publicly about her experience. She said she was aware the man created online content but did not consent to the recording of private moments.
“I knew he was a streamer. I knew he was just doing content. I’m also a content creator. So I kind of accepted up to that point, but in bed I hope not. I’m not sure. He was always wearing glasses, and I asked, and that is the reason why I did not agree,” she said.
She explained that they had been in a relationship and had stayed together for several weeks in different locations.
“We were dating for a while until he came to Kenya to meet me. He told me he does streaming for a living. He does content creation, and he travels around the world, so that is exactly what I thought it was. Just normal real-life activities: having breakfast, washing dishes, cooking together,” she said.
According to her, tension arose when he insisted on recording nearly every aspect of their time together.
“That’s the reason why we became uncomfortable with each other, because anything we did, he always wanted to record. With his glasses, phone,” she stated.
She also expressed fear that more private material could surface online.
“Maybe a video is out there, but I hope he did not record me in bed. But in case you see it, it’s because we were dating, just like any other girl,” she said, adding: “There are so many videos, and I’m sure he’ll leak them all.”
Ghanaian authorities say psychosocial and legal support is being offered to affected individuals through confidential channels. The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has provided toll-free helplines, including 0800-800-800, 0800-900-900, and 0800-111-222.
Russia’s embassy in Accra said it had “taken note” of the reports but did not indicate whether Moscow would cooperate with any extradition request. Russian law generally prohibits the extradition of its citizens.
Ghanaian officials say investigations and diplomatic efforts are ongoing.
