Ghanaian Woman Breaks Down in Tears, Reveals Details of Meeting with Russian Man Yaytseslav
A Ghanaian woman identified as Abena has publicly shared her story after videos allegedly showing her interaction with Russian content creator Vyacheslav Trahov, popularly known as Yaytseslav, surfaced online, sparking widespread outrage and debate over privacy and consent.
Viral Videos Spark Controversy and Privacy Concerns
Yaytseslav became a trending topic in Ghana after clips of his encounters with several Ghanaian women went viral on Thursday, February 12, 2026. The videos, which showed the Russian national approaching women around a mall in Accra and inviting some to his apartment, raised serious concerns about privacy, consent, and the ethics of secretly recording individuals. According to reports, the interactions were allegedly recorded using Meta smart glasses without the women's knowledge or permission.
Short edited versions of the videos circulated on social media platforms, while longer recordings were reportedly shared on a private Telegram channel accessible through a paid subscription. As the controversy intensified, Yaytseslav reportedly deleted his videos on TikTok, made his account private, and Telegram removed the content, but the damage had already been done, leaving many victims emotionally distressed.
Abena's Emotional Account of the Encounter
In a phone conversation with UK-based social media personality Trouble Carlos, Abena explained that she first connected with Yaytseslav on the dating app Badoo over a year ago. They communicated occasionally, and she shared her contact details after he mentioned plans to visit Ghana in November 2025. He later contacted her in January 2026 after arriving in Ghana, introducing himself with a different name.
Abena stated that she visited his apartment after he invited her and denied claims circulating online about how the meeting occurred. She emphasized that she was single at the time and had interacted with him through the dating platform. During the visit, she noticed the Meta glasses he wore and questioned their purpose, to which he claimed he had an eye condition and needed them.
She alleged that he made inappropriate advances toward her during the meeting and insisted she was unaware she was being recorded. Abena also said she had not seen the video of their private interaction. According to her, they remained in contact for some time before he stopped responding after returning to Russia. She claimed he later changed his WhatsApp profile and ignored her messages following the release of the videos online.
Emotional Toll and Public Reaction
The young woman revealed that the incident had deeply affected her emotionally. She said her mother saw the videos online and later advised and supported her after she attempted to take her own life, highlighting the severe psychological impact of the privacy breach. The public reaction has been one of outrage, with many calling for stricter regulations on secret recordings and better protection for individuals' privacy rights.
In related developments, a married Ghanaian woman, Serena, also denied romantic involvement with Yaytseslav after appearing in his viral videos. She explained that their meeting was strictly business-related, claiming she had approached him as a real estate agent. Serena alleged that the viral footage had been edited and manipulated, further fueling debates about privacy and consent in the digital age.
This case underscores the urgent need for awareness and action against non-consensual recording and the exploitation of personal interactions for online content, as victims like Abena continue to suffer the consequences long after the videos have gone viral.
