South Africa’s presidency has announced the return of 11 men who were tricked into fighting for Russia in Ukraine. The men were among 17 citizens who contacted authorities after being recruited under false promises of employment and found themselves in the Donbas region.
Four of the men returned last week, with the remaining 11 expected to arrive shortly. Two other South Africans remain in Russia, one in hospital and another undergoing processing for travel home.
President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who assisted in facilitating the repatriations through diplomatic channels. The South African government said an investigation into the circumstances of their recruitment is ongoing.
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South African law prohibits citizens from joining foreign armies without government authorisation. Similar cases have been reported in other African countries, including Kenya and Zimbabwe, with Ukraine’s foreign ministry identifying over 1,400 Africans among Russian forces.
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