SA Government Says 17 South Africans Trapped in War-Torn Ukraine Region
- A group of South African men who were allegedly lured to fight as mercenary forces in the Ukraine-Russia war are trapped in the country
- The Presidency's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said that the men sent a distress call for assistance to return to the country
- Magwenya also noted that it was illegal for the men to be in Ukraine as mercenary forces, and Cyril Ramaphosa called for an investigation into how they went to Ukraine
Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, covered local and international relations, political analysis, and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his 10 years of experience.
Source: Twitter
PRETORIA, GAUTENG — President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for an investigation after 17 South African men sent a distress call that they are trapped in Donbas in Ukraine.
According to News24, the group of men, aged between 20 and 39, went to Ukraine as mercenary forces fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya stated on 6 November 2025 that they were brought in after being promised lucrative employment contracts.
Mercenaries not protected by SA law
Magwenya stated that it was illegal under South African law for the men, who are from KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, to be in Ukraine as mercenaries, unless the government authorises their trip. Magwenya added that the government is working to secure their return.
4 Briefly News articles about SA and Ukraine
President Cyril Ramaphosa pushed for a state visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February. The visitation came after Zelenskyy was insulted and shunned at the White House in Washington during a meeting with President Donald Trump and Deputy President JD Vance.
During the meeting, Trump and Vance got into a heated argument with Zelenskyy. The meeting was intended to discuss a peace deal with Russia and to sign an agreement on sharing Ukraine's mineral resources. An argument ensued when Vance said diplomacy was necessary to end the war, and Zelenskyy asked what kind of diplomacy was needed when Russian president Vladimir Putin broke the ceasefire agreement between the two nations.
The Ukrainian Association of South Africa held peaceful demonstrations in the country on 24 February 2025, three years after Russia invaded Ukraine on the same date in 2022. The demonstrations were held in Durban, Pretoria, and Cape Town. Ukrainian model Karina Kaminska said that Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied areas live in fear.
The MK Party protested Zelenskyy's visit, which took place on 24 April. The party's former secretary-general, Floyd Shivamb, said that Zelenskyy was a puppet of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
Source: Twitter
Zelenskyy cuts state visit trip short
In a related article, Briefly News reported that Zelenskyy canceled part of his trip after Russia launched an attack on Kyiv. At least 70 missiles and 145 drones were launched at Kyiv as the primary target.
Zelenskyy said that he would brief Ramaphosa on the crisis and the urgent need to escalate global diplomatic efforts. He then returned to Ukraine.
Source: Briefly News
