The government of Ghana has summoned Sergei Berdnikov, the ambassador of Russia, to explain the alleged unlawful actions of a suspected Russian national accused of leaking private images of Ghanaian women without consent.
In a statement dated February 18, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Sergei Berdnikov was called in under the instructions of Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to address the matter, which they described as a serious violation of the law.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Ghana, His Excellency Sergei Berdnikov, was summoned today, Tuesday, 17th February, 2026 on the instruction of the Honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs over the conduct of a supposed Russian national in unlawfully publishing sexually explicit images of Ghanaian women without their consent,” read part of the statement.
Officials argued that the purpose of the meeting was to communicate the government’s strong displeasure and to seek Russia’s cooperation in seeking Justice of the victims.
“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,” read part of the statement.
Ghana Summons Sergei Berdnikov, Russian Ambassador
During the meeting, Sergei Berdnikov acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and recognized the harm caused to the victims.
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He also expressed his willingness to collaborate with Ghanaian authorities to investigate the case and support efforts to identify and seek justice.
“Ambassador Sergei Berdnikov acknowledged the violation of the privacy and dignity of the victims, and the larger cybercrime dimensions, while expressing the willingness of the Russian Federation to cooperate with the Republic of Ghana on the matter at issue,” read part of the statement.
However, Serge Berdnikov argued that he could not confirm whether the individual is a Russian national, adding that the name circulating in media reports is not recognized as a Russian name.
“The Russian Ambassador, however, indicated that he is unable to confirm the Russian nationality of the individual at the centre of the intimate viral videos, and further disclosed that the purported name making the rounds in the media is not a known Russian name and rather represents an inappropriate or vulgar expression in the Russian language,” read part of the statement.
He highlighted similar activities by the individual in other countries that had come to the attention of Russian authorities and were being investigated by Russian experts.
Russian Man Accused of Exploiting Women in Kenya
The same man has been accused of committing similar illegal acts in Kenya, using a pair of sunglasses fitted with a camera to film some encounters and circulate them on his social media.
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Hanna Cheptumo, Kenya’s minister of gender, culture, and children services, described the incident as a serious case of gender-based violence and added that investigations are being conducted to pursue the matter with urgency.
“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.”
She noted that 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.
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