---
title: "South Africa to investigate how 17 citizens were lured into fighting in Ukraine"
description: "South Africa's government said on Thursday it had received distress calls from 17 citizens who had joined mercenary forces in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and was working to bring them home."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-11-06-south-africa-to-investigate-how-17-citizens-were-lured-into-fighting-in-ukraine/"
published: "2025-11-06T12:20:19"
updated: "2025-11-06T12:20:20"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 165
---

# South Africa to investigate how 17 citizens were lured into fighting in Ukraine

> South Africa's government said on Thursday it had received distress calls from 17 citizens who had joined mercenary forces in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and was working to bring them home.

By Reuters · Published 6 November 2025, 14:20 SAST · Updated 6 November 2025, 14:20 SAST

## Key points
- In a twist that could rival the most convoluted plot of a spy thriller, South African men, lured by the siren song of lucrative job offers, find themselves dodging bullets in Ukraine's Donbas, while President Ramaphosa investigates how they ended up in this mercenary mess—because apparently, "help wanted" signs in war zones should come with a warning label.
- South African men aged 20-39 are reportedly trapped in Ukraine's Donbas region, lured by false job offers for mercenary work.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa has initiated an investigation into the recruitment practices that led to their involvement.
- The statement did not clarify which side of the conflict these individuals were fighting for.
- South African law prohibits citizens from providing military assistance to foreign entities without government authorization, amid warnings about fake job offers in Russia.

## Content

The men were lured into fighting under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts, the statement said. All are between the ages of 20 and 39 years and are trapped in Ukraine's war-torn Donbas region, it said.

"President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation into the circumstances that led to the recruitment of these young men into these seemingly mercenary activities," said the statement.

The statement did not say which side of the conflict the South Africans were fighting for.

Under South African law, it is illegal for citizens to provide military assistance to foreign governments or participate in armies of foreign governments unless authorised by the South African government, it added.

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

(Reporting by Alexander Winning and Wendell Roelf; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Michael Perry)