Four South Africans Return Home After Fighting in Ukraine

Four South African men who were lured into fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine returned home on Wednesday, according to local media reports.

Their return follows recent talks between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the repatriation of South Africans caught up in the war.

It remains unclear whether the four are among a group of 17 men the South African presidency had earlier indicated it was working to bring back to the country.

The South African Broadcasting Corporation aired footage of the men arriving at Johannesburg’s main airport, where they were subsequently escorted to a police holding area.

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The presidency told AFP that the “process to secure the release of the men” was ongoing.

In November, Pretoria disclosed that it had received distress calls from 17 South Africans who said they were trapped in the Donbas region of Ukraine after allegedly being deceived into joining mercenary forces.

South African law prohibits citizens from serving in a foreign military without prior government authorisation.

The conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has attracted foreign fighters and mercenaries on both sides, including from several African countries.

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Separately, an AFP investigation reported that four Kenyan nationals recently returned from Russia claimed they had been misled by a Nairobi recruitment agency with promises of lucrative jobs.

Meanwhile, a daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma resigned from parliament following allegations linking her to recruitment efforts involving Russian mercenary forces.

Local media reports also alleged that some of the men were sent to Russia for security training by the opposition MK party, headed by Zuma, who served as South Africa’s president from 2009 to 2018.