Ghana News
Passport Proof Contradicts Russian Embassy: Ghana Now Has Yaytseslav Trahov’s Real Name and Nationality
The Ghanaian government has dealt a decisive blow to the identity mystery surrounding the Russian national at the centre of a viral intimate video scandal, publicly releasing his passport details and definitively confirming his name and nationality.
The revelation directly contradicts statements made by the Russian Ambassador just one day earlier.
On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, disclosed that authorities have the suspect’s Russian passport and have verified his true identity.
“We have his passport, which we will be sharing with the media, his Russian passport,” the Minister stated. “His first name is Vladislav and his last name is Liulkov. The passport with which he entered the country will be shared with the media so that his identity is made known.”

According to the document, the individual is identified as Vladislav Aleksandrovich Liulkov, a Russian Federation national born on September 19, 1989. The passport confirms his nationality unequivocally as Russian.
A Direct Contradiction
Tuesday’s announcement stands in stark contrast to the position conveyed by the Russian Ambassador to Ghana, Sergei Berdnikov, during his summons to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 17, 2026.
Following that closed-door meeting, the Ministry issued a press release stating that Ambassador Berdnikov “indicated that he is unable to confirm the Russian nationality of the individual at the centre of the intimate viral videos.”
The Ambassador further claimed that the name circulating in Ghanaian media—widely reported as Yaytseslav Trahov—”is not a known Russian name and rather represents an inappropriate or vulgar expression in the Russian language.”
The Ambassador had, however, acknowledged that “similar activities of the said individual in other countries had come to the attention of Russian authorities” and pledged that the Russian Embassy was “willing to share information on the matter to facilitate Ghana’s ongoing efforts.”
With Ghanaian authorities now holding a Russian passport bearing a clear name and nationality, the discrepancy raises urgent questions about the accuracy of the information previously provided by the Embassy, and whether Russian authorities were genuinely unable to identify their citizen or were reluctant to do so.
Beyond the Name: New Details About the Crimes
Minister George did not stop at revealing the suspect’s identity. He provided critical new information about the nature of the alleged crimes, revealing that the scope of violation is broader and more insidious than initially understood.
“Let us be clear, not all the women he has publicised were engaged in an intimate encounter with him,” the Minister stated.

According to investigations by cybersecurity experts, some of the encounters depicted online were brief, public interactions with no sexual component.
“Some of the cases that have come to us show that he barely met the women at malls, greeted them, and briefly engaged them,” Sam George explained. “Cybersecurity checks indicate that in some instances there is no video of him with those ladies beyond the mall encounters.”
Despite this, the Minister said the suspect allegedly portrayed the women online as though they had been involved in intimate acts with him.
“However, he splashed their images as though he had intimate encounters with all of these ladies. That is wrong, and such a person must be brought to face the full rigours of the law,” he asserted.
This revelation adds a layer of digital defamation to the case, suggesting that Liulkov may have intentionally misrepresented innocent women to inflate his content and increase its exploitative appeal.
A Plea for Empathy
The Minister also made a direct appeal to the public, urging compassion for the women whose images have been circulated, many of whom are entirely innocent of any intimate involvement with the suspect.
“That is why we are calling for empathy for these ladies. There are people who are genuinely innocent and have not had any intimacy with the said gentleman. But because he portrayed all of them as victims, it has been traumatising for many of them,” he said.

He revealed that the psychological impact on some victims has been severe, underscoring the human cost of a scandal that has, until now, been dominated by diplomatic and legal manoeuvring.
What Happens Now?
With the suspect’s identity now confirmed as Vladislav Aleksandrovich Liulkov, the path forward for Ghanaian authorities becomes clearer—even if the obstacles remain significant.
The government has stated its intention to pursue legal channels, including the possibility of extradition, to bring Liulkov to justice under Ghana’s Cybersecurity Act 2020. The Act carries penalties of up to 25 years for non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
However, the absence of a bilateral extradition treaty between Ghana and Russia, which was explicitly noted in the Ministry’s press release after the Ambassador’s summons, remains a formidable barrier. Any cooperation from Russia will be voluntary, and the diplomatic pressure on Moscow to act will now intensify, particularly given the discrepancy between the Ambassador’s statements and the evidence now in Ghana’s possession.
The case is being handled by relevant state institutions, including the Ghana Police Service, with cybersecurity experts continuing their investigations. For the women whose lives have been upended—both those who were violated and those who were merely portrayed as such—the confirmation of a name is a small but significant step toward accountability.
And for the suspect now identified as Vladislav Aleksandrovich Liulkov, the anonymity he may have sought behind a vulgar alias has been stripped away. The question that remains is whether the full force of the law can reach him.
Ghana News
Ghana Ties Rice Imports to Local Production, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Halts Emergency Admissions, and Other Big Stories in Ghana Today
These are the most relevant and impactful stories from across Ghana today, presented as concise updates on key developments across the country.
Government to Tie Rice Imports to Local Production in Major Policy Shift
The Ghanaian government is set to introduce a significant policy linking rice import permits directly to investments in local rice production and milling facilities. This move by the Ministry of Agriculture aims to boost domestic farming, reduce the country’s growing rice import bill, and accelerate progress toward food self-sufficiency. Read the full story here
Edem Senanu Questions Procedural Lapses in Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Process
Chairman of Advocates for Christ, Edem Senanu, has raised concerns over how Parliament’s House of Records handled the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, questioning procedural and drafting issues that emerged after its passage. Read the full story here
Sheikh Shaibu Warns Against Politicising Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill
Spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, has cautioned the NDC and NPP against turning the anti-LGBTQ+ bill into a political contest, stressing that Ghana already has a broad national consensus on the matter rooted in cultural and religious values. Read the full story here
Honest Ghanaian Rewarded GH¢10,000 for Returning Lost ATM Cash
Fidelity Bank has rewarded Emmanuel Appiah Boateng with GH¢10,000 for his honesty after he returned GH¢4,000 he found left behind at one of its ATMs. Read the full story here
Nigel Gaisie Files GH¢10m Defamation Suit Against Kumchacha
Prophet Nigel Gaisie has sued Prophet Nicholas Osei (Kumchacha) for GH¢10 million over alleged defamatory statements questioning his prophetic ministry. Read the full story here
680 Ghanaians to Be Evacuated from South Africa Amid Xenophobia Concerns
The Ghana High Commission in South Africa has announced plans to evacuate 680 Ghanaians (340 on June 6 and 340 on June 7, 2026) due to xenophobia-related safety issues. Read the full story here
Free SHS Suppliers to Picket at Education Ministry Over GH¢50m Debt
The National Association of Institutional Suppliers (NAIS) will picket at the Ministry of Education on June 11, 2026, over unpaid debts of approximately GH¢50 million for supplies delivered under the Free Senior High School programme since 2023. Read the full story here
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Halts Emergency Admissions
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has temporarily halted new emergency admissions after its Accident and Emergency ward exceeded capacity due to overwhelming patient numbers. Read the full story here
15 dead, 25 injured in head-on collision at Peki-Tsame
At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and 25 others injured following a devastating head-on collision between a container truck and a passenger bus at Peki-Tsame in the Volta Region. The fatal accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 2 June 2026, near the premises of Peki Senior High School, prompting an emergency response from personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS). Read the full story here
Ghana News
Today’s Newspaper Headlines: Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Stay informed with today’s front pages of Ghanaian newspapers, all in one place.




















Ghana News
Is the UN Losing Its Legitimacy? Ghana’s President Says Permanent Security Council Bias ‘Eats Away’ Trust
The continued exclusion of Africa from permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council is not merely a procedural flaw but a structural imbalance that is systematically eroding the credibility of the multilateral system, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama warned on Monday.
Speaking at Chatham House, the London-based international affairs think tank, Mahama argued that the UN’s primary decision-making body risks becoming untenable as a steward of global peace and security if it fails to reflect the demographic and political realities of the 21st century.
“This is not nearly a procedural anomaly,” Mahama said. “It is a historical injustice and a structural imbalance that undermines the credibility of the multilateral system itself.”
The president’s remarks come as the UN Security Council (UNSC) remains composed of five permanent members (P5) – the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China – all of which were Allied powers in World War II.
Africa, home to 54 UN member states, the largest regional bloc in the organization, holds no permanent seat and only three non-permanent seats that rotate every two years.
Mahama noted that the representational gap is poised to become more pronounced as global demographics shift. According to UN population projections, Africa will account for nearly a quarter of the world’s population by 2050.
“This eats away at the trust in the system,” a senior official from the Ghanaian presidency later summarized, reinforcing Mahama’s central thesis that legitimacy in global governance requires equitable participation.
The Ghanaian leader affirmed that his government would continue to advocate for “comprehensive reform” of the UN, including permanent, veto-wielding seats for African nations.
The African Union has long pushed for a common position known as the Ezulwini Consensus, which demands at least two permanent seats for the continent, with the same powers and responsibilities as current P5 members.
However, Mahama’s critique extended beyond the Security Council. He linked the UN’s representational crisis to what he described as parallel failures in the international financial architecture. He argued that debt vulnerabilities across the Global South are not isolated fiscal challenges but structural development constraints that limit investment in health, education, infrastructure, climate adaptation, and industrial transformation.
“The international debt system must therefore become fairer, more flexible and more development-focused,” Mahama said.
He also called for reforms to global taxation frameworks, asserting that developing economies should derive equitable value from economic activity generated within their jurisdictions. A stable international order, he warned, cannot be sustained while prosperity remains structurally unequal.
To illustrate the tangible cost of such inequality, Mahama pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic. African nations, he said, discovered that access to vaccines and essential medical supplies depended not on the urgency of public health need but on their position within the global supply hierarchy. That experience, he noted, directly prompted Ghana to launch the Accra Reset Initiative – a strategic framework designed to move Africa and the Global South from dependency toward resilience, and from passive participation toward active agenda-setting in global governance.
President Mahama concluded by rejecting any characterization of Ghana as a passive observer of the changes reshaping the international order.
“We see ourselves as active participants in shaping a more balanced, equitable, and cooperative international system,” he said.
No immediate response was issued by the permanent members of the UN Security Council. Reform of the council requires an amendment to the UN Charter, which must be approved by two-thirds of the General Assembly and ratified by all five permanent members, each of whom holds a veto over their own status.
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