South Africa receives a "distress call" from 17 citizens involved in Russia's war against Ukraine

South African authorities are investigating how 17 of its citizens ended up in Russia's war against Ukraine. This was reported by Reuters.

The South African government announced on Thursday that it had received a "distress call" from 17 citizens who joined mercenaries in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Authorities are working to bring them home.

The statement said the men were lured to the war under the pretext of lucrative labor contracts. They are all aged between 20 and 39 years old .

The government said in a statement that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation into the circumstances that led to the recruitment of the men.

The statement did not indicate which side the South Africans were fighting on, Reuters said.

According to the country's legislation, citizens are prohibited from providing military assistance to foreign governments or serving in the armies of foreign governments unless authorized by the authorities.

In August, the South African government warned young people to be wary of fake job offers in Russia that were circulating on social media, following reports that some South African women had been tricked into making drones.

• On August 22, 2025, it became known that the government of the Republic of South Africa is investigating Russian companies that hire female residents of the country as part of BRICS cooperation initiatives.
• On October 10, it was reported that South Africa is investigating how electronic equipment manufactured in the country ended up in Russian drones used by the aggressor country to attack.