Russian Man’ Unmasked: Govt Officially Names Vladislav Luilkov in Non-Consensual Recording Scandal

Vladislav Luilkov, 36, faces international legal action as Ghanaian and Kenyan authorities intensify investigations

The Ghanaian government has publicly identified the Russian national at the centre of a widespread scandal involving the alleged non-consensual recording of intimate encounters with Kenyan and other African women, naming him as 36-year-old Vladislav Luilkov.

Ghana’s Communication Minister Sam George announced the development following talks with the Russian ambassador to Ghana, during which authorities shared intelligence gathered by the Ghana Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID). The government subsequently released the suspect’s passport details to the public.

“We had very fruitful deliberations where we presented information available to us with relation to Vladislav Luilkov, the Russian national who is alleged to have engaged in non-consensual recording of ladies,” Minister George said. He added that Ghanaian authorities have activated international legal proceedings through INTERPOL, creating a legal pathway to prosecute Luilkov should he leave Russian territory.

“Working with the Ghana Police CID, we have activated international legal action through INTERPOL to ensure that once the individual sets foot outside Russia, we have a legal route to make him answer for his actions within Ghana,” he stated.

The revelation resolves weeks of confusion over the suspect’s true identity. Earlier reports had identified the individual as “Yaytseslav,” a self-described pickup artist and content creator from Ulyanovsk, Russia — a name that Russian officials were quick to dismiss. Russian Ambassador to Ghana Sergei Berdnikov confirmed that the name circulating on social media was not a legitimate Russian name, but rather a vulgar expression in the Russian language, suggesting the suspect had been operating under a fabricated online alias to distribute explicit content across social media platforms.

Ambassador Berdnikov noted, however, that Russian authorities were already aware of the individual’s activities in other countries and that domestic investigations were underway.

The scandal erupted after videos purportedly showing the Russian national’s encounters with multiple women — several of them Kenyan — began circulating widely across social media, igniting public outrage and calls for accountability across the continent.

Ghanaian authorities face a significant legal obstacle in pursuing the case: Russia maintains a constitutional policy prohibiting the extradition of its nationals to face prosecution in foreign jurisdictions. As a result, officials say they will rely on the INTERPOL mechanism to effect an arrest the moment Luilkov travels abroad.

In Kenya, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is conducting a parallel investigation and has appealed to victims and witnesses to come forward. “We are deeply concerned about the reported circulation of intimate content involving Kenyan women, which is a clear violation of privacy, dignity, and the law,” the DCI said in a statement, urging those with information to record formal statements with investigators.

The case has reignited broader conversations across Africa about digital privacy, consent, and the protections available to victims of non-consensual intimate image sharing.