South Africa releases citizens tricked by Russia into war against Ukraine
Photo: Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa (Getty Images)
The South African government has secured the release of its citizens who Russia deceitfully forced to fight against Ukraine, according to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
According to Ramaphosa's office, four men returned home last week, and 11 more are expected to return in the near future. One South African was hospitalized, and another is preparing to travel home.
The families of the recruited men said they were lured into the Russian army with the help of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma. The South Africans were promised that they would be trained as security guards, after which they were forced to sign military contracts.
Zuma-Sambudla is under investigation. She resigned from parliament as a member of her father's political party on November 28, 2025.
In South Africa, participation in hostilities or assistance to foreign armed forces has been a crime since 1998.
Recruitment of South African citizens
Bloomberg previously reported that Russia used the Discord app, popular among gamers, to recruit South Africans for the war against Ukraine.
According to the agency, recruiters using pseudonyms offered young people one-year contracts in the Russian army stationed near St. Petersburg, promising Russian citizenship and the opportunity to study after service.
There is a known case of two men who went to war in July 2024: one of them died in the Luhansk region in October, and the whereabouts of the other are unknown.
