Videos exploding across social media show a Russian man identified online as Yaytseslav approaching women in public and then taking them to private spaces, filming their sexual encounters, and sharing the footage online.

In clips widely shared in Ghana and Kenya, he strikes up casual conversations, exchanges phone numbers, and within hours some of the women are shown in his hotel or apartment, suggesting the interactions quickly became intimate.

Yaytseslav, whose real name is reportedly Vyacheslav Trahov, uploaded short teasers of these encounters to platforms like X and TikTok, however full versions are reportedly locked behind a private Telegram subscription of around 5 US dollars per month. African social media users have speculated that he may have filmed dozens of such meetings, with some estimates pointing to at least 20 Ghanaian women featured across about 40 related videos online.

The controversy escalated when Ghana Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection confirmed formal investigations after viral postings prompted public outcry. “We want the gentleman to come back to Ghana, for him to face the rigors of our law.”

The Ministry called the non consensual recording and distribution of intimate images a criminal offence and a violation of privacy and dignity under Ghanaian law, even as authorities noted that he may no longer be in the country, which complicates legal action.

Across Kenya, outrage has centred not just on the recordings but on whether the women knew they were being filmed. Many speculate that he used smart wearable glasses, such as Meta Ray-Ban devices, to capture footage without clear consent.

A statement reportedly posted on Yaytseslav’s own Telegram channel claiming the videos are “almost a year old” and implying that white foreign men are “more in demand” in Africa has drawn sharp condemnation online, with critics labelling it exploitative and dismissive of local agency.

This saga has lit up discussions on sex tourism, digital privacy, the monetisation of intimacy, and the real meaning of consent in the social media age.