Surviving members of a group of 14 Ghanaian men who were reportedly lured into joining the Russian military to fight in Ukraine are now appealing for help from Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast, according to a video that has gone viral on social media

Russia has been increasingly recruiting foreigners and migrant workers to fill its military ranks, avoiding further domestic mobilization as its losses in the ongoing war against Ukraine continue to rise.

The men arrived in Russia on Aug. 6 and were taken to Kostroma, a city in western Russia located about 300 kilometers northeast of Moscow.

A fellow Ghanaian by the name of Abraham Boakye popularly known as Oneman Supporter is said to have convinced the group to come, promising them well-paying jobs.

The men, who paid for their own plane tickets and visas, were told they would work in security after undergoing military training.

However, the situation took a darker turn when the men signed contracts written in Russian, a language none of them understood, and subsequently had their passports confiscated.

Three of the men in the said video said that they are currently being held against their will in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast, fearing they may be the last survivors of their original group of 14.

Other members of the group were reportedly sent to fight, and one man is said to have escaped, though his whereabouts remain unknown.

More anon!