A 25-year-old Ghanaian, Maxwell Aidoo, claims he was deceived into fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war and now lives on just one kidney and a metal liver following a drone attack.

In an interview with JoyNews, Aidoo narrated how a travel agent in Dubai promised him a well-paying job as a military assistant.

According to a myjoyonline.com report on May 20, 2026, he was subsequently flown to Russia, where he was detained at the airport for four hours before being taken to a military warehouse along with two other Ghanaians.

"We spent two weeks there, and during that time, we were taken to a military medical base for examinations. That was when I started to panic," he explained.

Maxwell alleged that a Ghanaian intermediary was recruiting individuals for the Russian army for $1,000 each.

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He and 51 other Africans from Zambia, South Africa, Nigeria, and other countries were woken from their sleep one morning and pressured to sign contracts with the Russian military.

"When I tried to back out, the Ghanaian agent threatened that I would have to repay the costs of the visa and flight tickets provided by the Russian military committee," he said.

He further stated that they were violently threatened and hence feared being shot if they refused to cooperate.

After three weeks of training in explosives, weapons, and map reading, Maxwell was deployed to the Ukrainian border.

He initially served in a tank battalion before being transferred to an assault battalion.

"By the time we completed the five-day journey to our assigned location, almost half of the battalion had lost their lives. You could die from a landmine, an explosion, or by being shot," he recalled.

On the second day at the front lines, Maxwell stepped on a landmine.

"When it exploded, the blast threw me against a tree. However, this also alerted a nearby Ukrainian unit, which then targeted my battalion. I believe my actions led to their deaths," he said.

Later, he suffered injuries from a drone attack that damaged his kidney and liver. He crawled to a bunker, badly wounded, and bandaged himself using the training he had received.

After three hours without evacuation, he spent three days walking to a Russian safe zone, relying on snow and sand for sustenance.

He collapsed near the safe zone and later woke up in a Moscow military hospital after being in a coma for several days.

"I am now living with one kidney and a liver that has been adjusted with metal. I have to be mindful of what I eat," he stated.

Maxwell also mentioned that the Ghanaian agent later swindled him out of his compensation while he was attempting to return to Ghana.

He added that soldiers were given bullet casings inscribed with their names to identify their remains, and they were deployed for three months with only one month of rest, if they survived.

NAD/VPO

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