The South African government has launched an investigation into the alleged recruitment of 17 of its citizens as mercenaries in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed that the men, aged between 20 and 39, were deceived into joining the war under the guise of lucrative employment contracts. After becoming trapped in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, they sought assistance to escape the conflict. While it remains unclear which side the men were fighting for, Russia has been accused of recruiting individuals from various countries, including South Africa, by offering false job opportunities. Additionally, Russia has been implicated in luring women from Africa to work in drone factories through misleading social media campaigns. President Ramaphosa condemned the exploitation of vulnerable individuals by foreign military entities and emphasized the government’s efforts to repatriate the affected citizens through diplomatic channels. This incident follows similar reports from India and Nepal, where citizens were allegedly recruited under false pretenses. An Associated Press investigation last year highlighted how hundreds of African women were tricked into working in a Russian drone plant amid the country’s wartime labor shortage. The South African government has since issued warnings about fraudulent job advertisements targeting young women.
South Africa investigates how 17 men were duped into joining mercenaries in the Russia-Ukraine war
