17 South Africans call home for help after being stranded fighting as mercenaries in Ukraine war

South Africa’s government said on Thursday it has received distress calls from 17 of its citizens who joined mercenary forces fighting in the Russia–Ukraine conflict, prompting President Cyril Ramaphosa to order an investigation into their recruitment.

According to Reuters, The men, aged between 20 and 39, are reportedly stranded in Ukraine’s war-torn Donbas region. “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 government said in a statement.

Officials said the group contacted South African authorities after finding themselves trapped in combat zones with limited means to return home.

Earlier this year, reports emerged that Russia was recruiting citizens from several African nations, including Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and South Africa; to support its war efforts in Ukraine.

Bloomberg reported that the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, one of Russia’s flagship industrial hubs and a key producer of Shahed-type drones used in combat, was among the main recruiters of foreign labour.

The recruitment drive, now under South African investigation, is believed to be part of Moscow’s wider efforts to address a labour shortage worsened by demographic decline and wartime mobilisation.

It is reportedly being coordinated through the BRICS framework, particularly via the South African chapter of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance.

According to report, the alliance signed an agreement in May to supply more than 5,600 workers to Alabuga and Russian construction firm Etalonstroi Ural.

These positions were advertised on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok as well-paid international placements.

Lebogang Zulu, chair of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance in South Africa, told Bloomberg the initiative was designed to “match Russia’s labour demand with South Africa’s unemployment crisis.” Nearly a third of South Africans are unemployed, with youth and women disproportionately affected.

However, links between these placements and Russia’s military-industrial complex have raised concerns over potential exploitation.

The Alabuga facility has been targeted several times by Ukrainian forces, including one strike in August, underscoring the risks faced by those working there.

ISIS estimates that around 90% of the women who travelled to Russia under the programme ended up in drone production.

South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has confirmed a formal investigation into the recruitment activities. “The government is actively probing reports of foreign programmes that recruit South Africans under false pretences,” DIRCO said in a statement.

The latest distress calls from 17 citizens reportedly trapped in Ukraine have intensified scrutiny over these operations and raised questions about Pretoria’s prior awareness.

Russia’s labour market is under severe pressure, with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko estimating a shortage of 4.8 million workers following large-scale mobilisation and population decline.

For Pretoria, the controversy poses a diplomatic challenge. South Africa has maintained a policy of non-alignment in the Russia–Ukraine conflict but now faces growing domestic and international pressure to respond to allegations of recruitment and deception involving its citizens.