Four South African men who were lured into fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine have returned home, the Department of International Relations and Co-operation confirmed on Wednesday.
The men arrived at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg before being escorted to a police holding area, according to footage broadcast by the SABC.
Their return follows talks between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the repatriation of South Africans caught up in the Ukraine conflict.
The presidency told AFP that the “process to secure the release of the men” was still ongoing. It remains unclear whether the four are part of a group of 17 men the government previously said it was attempting to bring home.
Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said authorities could not confirm when the remaining men would arrive, as this depended entirely on Russia.
The men worked for private security companies in Russia rather than reporting directly to the Russian army, he told the SABC.
“They will allow them to come back when their contracts are cancelled there in Russia,” he said, adding that they had agreed “that most of them will come bit by bit”.
Lamola said locating the group “was a challenging process” and conditions remained difficult for those still on the front line.
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“The Russian government is only assisting us with their return and that really complicates the situation,” he said. “The only thing we can say is that they were lured, indeed, under false pretence, and that is the subject of a police investigation.”
A family member told the SABC that 11 other men – including one who had lost his leg – were travelling by bus from Ukraine to Russia and were expected back in South Africa at the weekend.
Background
In November 2025, Pretoria said it had received distress calls from 17 men who were trapped in the epicentre of fighting in Ukraine’s Donbas region after being tricked into joining mercenary groups.
The men, aged between 20 and 39, were allegedly promised lucrative employment and security training in Russia before being sent to the war zone.
South African law prohibits its citizens from fighting for a foreign country’s army without government authorisation.
Ukrainian ambassador to South Africa Oleksandr Shcherba previously urged South Africans not to be fooled into joining the conflict, calling it “not your war”.
Arrests and investigations
Five people appeared in Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court in December 2025 on charges of contravening the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act.
Patricia Mantula (39), Xolani Ntuli (46), Thulani Mazibuko (24), Siphamdla Chabalala (23) and Sfiso Mabena (21) were arrested, with four intercepted at OR Tambo International Airport whilst attempting to board a flight to Russia via the United Arab Emirates.
Mantula was granted bail of R30 000 with travel restrictions confining her to South Africa, whilst Ntuli received R15 000 bail and the remaining three were each granted R5 000 bail. The case was postponed to 10 February 2026.
Investigators alleged that Mantula orchestrated recruitment and travel arrangements and had travelled to Russia five times since September 2025.
ALSO READ: Prominent SABC journalist appears in court over Russia-Ukraine war recruitment
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma and a former MK Party MP, resigned from parliament in November 2025 after allegations emerged that she was involved in recruiting men to join Russian mercenaries.
The Democratic Alliance laid criminal charges against Zuma-Sambudla over the alleged recruitment and trafficking, with police opening an inquiry docket into the matter.
Reports in South African media said the men were allegedly sent to Russia for security training by the opposition MK party, which is headed by Zuma, who served as South Africa’s president between 2009 and 2018.
International context
The war sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has drawn in mercenaries on both sides, including from several African countries.
An AFP investigation spoke to four Kenyans recently returned from Russia who said they were deceived by a Nairobi recruitment agency into travelling to Russia under false promises of well-paid jobs.
ALSO READ: Kenyans describe deception into Russian military service in Ukraine
