South Africa probes recruitment of 17 citizens to fight in Russia's war against Ukraine

The South African government says it received signals from 17 citizens who joined mercenary forces in the Russian-Ukrainian war and is already working on bringing them home.

The statement says the men were lured into combat under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts. All of them are between the ages of 20 and 39 and are trapped in war-torn Donbas.

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

The statement does not specify which side of the conflict the South Africans are fighting for. Under South African law, citizens are prohibited from providing military assistance to foreign governments or participating in foreign governments' armies unless authorized by the South African government.

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

Russia recruits foreigners

For a long time now, Russia has been recruiting Africans and Asians in an attempt to impose and consolidate the so-called Russian world in foreign countries.

For more details on how this happens, what Africans do on the front lines, how they end up in captivity, and what they think of Russians afterwards, see the article by RBC-Ukraine.

Earlier, Russian media identified 51 Chinese soldiers who had signed contracts with the occupying army. They flew to Moscow specifically for this purpose.