….His name, “Yaytseslav”, means “Glory of the testicles”.
The Russian Ambassador to Ghana, Sergei Berdnikov, has cast doubt on the nationality of the man behind a widely circulated sex video that has been linked to an alleged Russian national.
Ambassador Berdnikov reportedly stated that the name Yaytseslav” is not recognised as a genuine Russian name and, in fact, constitutes an inappropriate or vulgar expression in the Russian language.
Interestingly, the name “Yaytseslav” has been widely circulated in sections of the media as the man in the videos. But The Herald’s search has confirmed the meaning to be “glory of the testicles”.
The videos, which have gone viral on social media, reportedly show Ghanaian women engaging in sexual acts with a man believed by some of them to be from Russia.
In portions of the footage, some of the women are heard expressing a desire to be taken to Russia, apparently under the impression that the individual was a Russian citizen.
However, a statement issued yesterday, Tuesday, 17 February 2026, by Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs following a meeting with the Ambassador indicated that he could not confirm the Russian nationality of the individual at the centre of the controversy.
He had met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
According to the statement, the Government of Ghana summoned the Ambassador of the Russian Federation after describing the matter as involving the unlawful conduct of a supposed Russian national accused of publishing sexually explicit images of Ghanaian women without their consent.
The Ministry confirmed that Ambassador Berdnikov was invited on the instruction of the Minister for Foreign Affairs to formally register Ghana’s strong protest over the incident.
The meeting, the Ministry said, was intended to convey the government’s displeasure at what it termed “atrocious conduct” that violates Ghanaian law and the privacy and dignity of the affected women. Ghana also sought the cooperation of the Russia in ensuring that justice is pursued.
Ambassador Berdnikov acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations, including concerns relating to privacy breaches and wider cybercrime implications. He expressed the willingness of the Russian Federation to cooperate fully with Ghanaian authorities in addressing the matter.
He further disclosed that similar alleged activities linked to the same individual in other countries had come to the attention of Russian authorities and were currently under investigation by experts in Russia.
The Ambassador pledged that the Russian Embassy in Accra would share any relevant information to support Ghana’s efforts to identify, apprehend and prosecute the suspect.
He noted that such cooperation would be undertaken within the framework of the longstanding bilateral relations between Ghana and Russia, despite the absence of a legally binding extradition treaty between the two countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured the public that it remains committed to leveraging the cordial ties between Ghana and Russia and will explore all available international mechanisms to ensure justice is served.
