South Africa’s government says it has received urgent appeals for help from 17 citizens stranded in eastern Ukraine after joining mercenary groups involved in the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
The men, aged between 20 and 39, are reportedly stuck in the war-ravaged Donbas region. Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered a full investigation into how the group was recruited into “seemingly mercenary activities”. Officials did not disclose which side of the conflict the men had joined.
Under South African law, taking part in foreign armed forces or mercenary work is illegal without government authorisation.
Authorities believe the men were enticed by promises of lucrative contracts. Sixteen of them are from KwaZulu-Natal and one from the Eastern Cape.
Magwenya said the government is using “diplomatic channels” to secure their safe return. He added that Ramaphosa “strongly condemns the exploitation of young vulnerable people by individuals working with foreign military entities”.
Analysts warn that South Africa’s high unemployment rate — above 30%, and significantly higher among youth — makes young people susceptible to recruitment schemes.
The incident comes as Russia expands its influence across Africa. The Kremlin-aligned Africa Corps has taken over operations previously associated with the Wagner Group, which collapsed after its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash last year.
In August, South Africa warned young women to avoid suspicious overseas job adverts, especially those linked to Russia. A BBC investigation later revealed that African and South Asian women had been transported to the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan to work in drone-manufacturing facilities, with more than 1,000 reportedly recruited.
Other African nations have reported similar trafficking and recruitment schemes. Kenyan police recently said they rescued more than 20 people who had been promised jobs in Russia but were allegedly destined for the front lines in Ukraine.
Ukraine has previously acknowledged detaining foreign fighters from countries including Somalia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba and Sri Lanka. Kyiv has also come under fire for past attempts to recruit foreigners, including Africans, into its International Legion. In 2022, both Senegal and Nigeria publicly demanded Ukraine halt such recruitment efforts. Photo by Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Wikimedia commons.