The South African government has announced a full investigation into how 17 of its citizens were lured into joining mercenary forces involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, after the men reportedly sent desperate appeals for help to return home.
According to a statement from the Presidency on Thursday, the men — aged between 20 and 39 — were deceived with promises of high-paying jobs abroad but instead found themselves trapped in Ukraine’s volatile Donbas region, where heavy fighting continues. The government said it is now working urgently to secure their safe return.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation into the circumstances that led to the recruitment of these young men into these seemingly mercenary activities,” the statement read. Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed that authorities are still determining which side of the conflict the men were fighting for.
The Donbas region, much of which remains under Russian military control, has become a hotspot for illegal recruitment schemes targeting young men from developing countries. Reports suggest that many are tricked into joining the war effort under the guise of civilian employment contracts or security jobs.
The South African government reiterated that it remains neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war, maintaining diplomatic relations with both countries as part of its non-aligned foreign policy. However, officials stressed that under South African law, citizens are prohibited from providing military assistance to foreign powers or joining any foreign army without government authorization.
Similar incidents have recently surfaced in other African nations. Kenya revealed last month that some of its citizens were detained in Russian military camps after being misled by fake recruiters posing as Russian government agents. Kenya’s foreign ministry condemned the deception, warning that these fraudulent networks use “unscrupulous methods and falsified information to lure innocent citizens into the battlefield.”
India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka have also reported cases of their nationals being recruited under false pretenses to fight on Russia’s behalf. Meanwhile, a growing number of African women have been duped into working on drone assembly projects for the war, believing they had accepted legitimate industrial jobs.
In August, the South African government warned citizens to be cautious of fake online job offers in Russia, after reports that several young women were manipulated into taking part in drone production linked to the war.
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime reported in May that women from more than 20 African countries had been targeted by similar scams tied to Russia’s war machine.
As the investigation unfolds, South Africa’s government says it remains committed to bringing its stranded citizens home safely and dismantling the international recruitment networks exploiting young Africans amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
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