Kwabena Ballo, a Ghanaian man cited in a report by US media giant CNN as one of the African soldiers duped to fight in the Ukraine war by Russia, has spoken out.

Kwabena Ballo took to social media to refute claims in the report that he and other African soldiers who were captured in the CNN report were tricked by Russia into fighting against Ukraine.

He also slammed CNN for allegedly capturing him in the report without his consent and threatened to take legal action against the media house.

“TV3 took my video without my permission, and you used it for your own purposes. I said nothing. The BBC did the same thing, and I kept quiet. CNN, let me tell you something, don’t mess with me. I’m not that kind of guy… you better drop (pull down) that video, or you will hear from my lawyers,” he said in Pidgin English.

“When you are coming to the Russian Army, who told you they don’t give you the money… who told you they don't give any money? This is why Africans are suffering. This is why Africans are being fooled by all these useless European and American countries,” he said.

“I’m a full f*cking citizen of Russia. Somebody would say they promised us this, and they didn’t give it to us. Who brought you to the army? Who brought you to the army?” he quizzed.

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Kwabena Ballo also slammed other African nationals who claimed they were deceived into joining the Russian army in the CNN report.

“They are [the reason why] they blocked all these useless Kenyan and useless Ugandan—foolish people who don’t know what they are doing. They don’t even know what they are doing. You came into the army, and you came and lied,” he said.

The CNN report captured a number of African nationals who claimed they went to Russia on the promise of a job but ended up on the front line of the war in Ukraine.

Kwabena Ballo was captured in the report bragging about the money he earns from the Russian army.

“How can you ask an international military man what my salary is? My salary can feed your father, mother and whole family for, like, two or three years,” he is quoted as having said in Pidgin English.

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