"Absolute Evil": How 17 South Africans Ended Up in Russia's War Against Ukraine

A short call from Donbass became the border of ordinary life for South African families: men who had set off for "non-combat training" and promised contracts suddenly realized that they were being sent to fight on the side of Russia in Ukraine, and their loved ones - that they had become victims of a cold-blooded scheme, which they themselves call "absolute evil."¹

How the story began: an attractive offer that hid the war

According to the South African government, at least 17 citizens of the country have sought help after discovering that under the guise of high-paying jobs abroad, they were actually drawn into Russia's war against Ukraine, being transferred to the occupied Donbas.⁶ The men, mostly aged 20 to 39, were told about "security activities", training with elements of military discipline, and "personal development" in Russia with the prospect of employment and citizenship, but not about actual participation in combat operations on the front of a full-scale war.¹

Advertisements and recruitment took place through acquaintances, messengers, and closed groups, and the key argument was the promise of a stable income and legal residence abroad — something that has often been lacking in poor areas of South Africa for generations.⁸ For many families, the offer seemed like a chance to escape unemployment and crime, so questions about the risks of war were pushed to the background, especially since recruiters insisted: "You won't go to battle, it's just training and working in safety."¹¹

Journey to Russia: from Johannesburg airport to unknown test sites

According to one mother, her son and other men left OR Tambo International Airport on July 8, traveling to Moscow via Dubai; along the way, the group communicated in chat rooms with names like “trip to Russia” and “Johannesburg team,” promising “a unique chance for the future.”¹ Already upon arrival, according to those who managed to get in touch, their passports, civilian clothes, and phones were gradually taken away from them, and instead they were given military uniforms and documents in Russian, the contents of which most could not read.⁴

Journalists were able to see one of the contracts, related to a Russian military unit with a number that appears in the investigations, in person: this particular unit has been fighting mainly in eastern Ukraine since the first days of the full-scale invasion and has suffered high losses, as families of Russian military personnel have repeatedly reported.¹ Signing such a document without understanding either the language or the real conditions meant for these men a de facto loss of control over their own destiny, as refusal to serve in the Russian military system is often perceived as a crime with the threat of punishment and violence.¹¹

Donbas as a trap: when returning home becomes almost impossible

According to an official statement by the South African government, 17 of its citizens are currently in the territory of Donbas as part of the so-called mercenary formations, from where they have sent alarming appeals asking for help to return home.⁶ One of the men, in voice messages listened to by journalists, admits that they were deceived by promising work contracts, but instead were forced to participate in combat operations, including in areas of active assaults, where both Ukrainian defenders and Russian army soldiers die every day.⁴

According to other estimates, at least 24 South Africans may have initially entered Ukraine, three of whom were returned to Russia due to medical contraindications, and at least one was injured and his exact whereabouts are currently unknown.⁴ The South African authorities' statements emphasize that all of these men ended up in the war zone "under the guise of lucrative employment contracts," which for investigators is a key sign of possible human trafficking and illegal recruitment to participate in a foreign conflict.⁶

"Absolute Evil" for Mothers: Pain That Official Formulations Cannot Contain

The mother of one of the men, whose name has been changed in the international press for security reasons, said that she last spoke to her son on August 27: then he admitted that he was afraid, that he was signing a contract in Russian and did not understand where he was being sent, but felt that it was about the front in Ukraine.¹ After that call, she said, she began to have sleepless nights, anxiety attacks, constant hospitalizations for heart problems and dizziness, and along with her physical condition, her usual sense of security was destroyed: the war, which seemed distant, suddenly burst into her family.¹

The woman calls what happened "absolute evil" — not only because of the risk of her son's death, but also because of the cynicism of people who, taking advantage of the trust of families and the authority of famous political names, promised opportunities, but in fact sold men to the front lines of someone else's war.¹ Other families tell similar stories: for them, every day without news turns into a test, and every news about heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine turns into the potential sentence they fear most.¹³

The ex-president's daughter is at the epicenter of the scandal

The story gained particular publicity because of the figure of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, who is directly linked in police materials and testimonies from relatives to recruiting men for "programs in Russia."¹ Her half-sister filed a police report alleging that Duduzile, along with several accomplices, under the deceptive guise of an educational course and employment, transferred South Africans to a Russian mercenary structure to participate in the war against Ukraine without their informed consent.⁴

Zuma-Sambudla herself insists in the media that she had no intention of recruiting anyone to the front: according to her version, she only recommended a program that she considered legal, and herself took a month-long course in Russia, not realizing that military structures were behind it.¹⁰ At the same time, her political prominence, participation in controversial events of past years, and proximity to the name of the former president make this case not only criminal, but also politically explosive for South Africa.¹

Criminal proceedings in South Africa: radio host, intermediaries and the law against mercenaries

Amid the scandal, South African law enforcement agencies have already filed charges in another, separate but similar case: five people, including the well-known radio host Nonkululeko Patricia Mantula, are accused of violating a law that prohibits citizens of the country from participating in the activities of foreign military formations or providing them with military assistance without special permission.⁵ The investigation believes that these people were planning a trip to Russia to participate in hostilities on the side of the Russian Federation, using the same arguments about high payments and "protective work" as in the case of the men who were already in Ukraine.⁵

The cases against Mantula and others demonstrate that the state is willing to apply its own laws not only to those already in the combat zone, but also to intermediaries and potential mercenaries, which can have an important deterrent effect.⁵ At the same time, the families of the victims insist: without real sentences for the organizers of the schemes and active cooperation with international structures, even the strictest laws will remain only on paper, while their sons and brothers remain "stuck" in Donbas.¹¹

Pretoria's official reaction: between neutrality and public outrage

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances under which young men were recruited into structures that have the characteristics of mercenary formations and are participating in the war in Ukraine, emphasizing that such activities contradict both national legislation and the country's official position on foreign conflicts.⁶ A government statement confirmed the receipt of distress signals from 17 citizens and announced measures to return them home, although the specific timing and details of these steps remain unclear, adding to the tension for the families.⁶

South Africa claims a "neutral" position on the international stage regarding Russia's war against Ukraine, but is increasingly forced to answer questions about how exactly the country's citizens ended up in formations fighting on the side of the aggressor state.¹¹ For Kyiv, Pretoria's official recognition of the fact of the recruitment and presence of South Africans in the combat zone is an important step: it not only strengthens the evidence base regarding Russian methods of recruiting foreigners, but also opens up opportunities for coordinating actions to return these people and hold the organizers accountable.⁷

Russia's global recruitment pipeline: from South Africa to Nepal and Kenya

The story with the South Africans is part of a broader phenomenon: Russia is actively recruiting people from economically vulnerable countries in Asia and Africa — India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Somalia, Cuba — promising them high salaries and accelerated citizenship in exchange for service in the army or related structures.⁸ Some of these recruits have already died on the front lines in Ukraine or been captured, according to reports from governments and human rights activists; families sometimes learn of their deaths only from photos on social media or brief calls from former comrades.⁹

The situation is compounded by reports of Russia's use of vulnerable migrants, particularly at the borders with EU countries, who, according to journalistic investigations, are being encouraged to sign contracts in exchange for legalization or amnesty, as well as the Kremlin's cooperation with the North Korean army, whose personnel are already being recorded in combat operations on other fronts.⁹ This global conveyor belt that turns poverty and hopelessness into a resource for aggressive war makes the case of South Africa not an exception, but rather a symptom of a dangerous trend that other states of the Global South should also pay close attention to.⁹

Old friendships, new manipulations: why South Africa?

International relations experts emphasize that Russia is purposefully exploiting the historical capital of Soviet support for African liberation movements, in particular the African National Congress, to strengthen its influence in the region and legitimize current policies.¹⁰ The Kremlin's public rhetoric often includes theses about the "fight against neo-colonialism" and the "legacy of anti-apartheid solidarity," which resonate in a society where the wounds of colonialism and racial discrimination have not yet healed.¹

Against this background, offers of "training programs in Russia" or "joint security projects" appear to some South Africans not only as an economic opportunity, but also as a continuation of a long-standing political friendship, and it is precisely this trust that recruiters exploit, keeping quiet about the fact that they are talking about participating in a war against a state fighting for its survival in the center of Europe.¹ Thus, a vicious circle is formed: political nostalgia and economic vulnerability multiply into targeted propaganda, making African societies a target for a new, now Russian, neocolonial military policy.¹²

Hybrid attack on Ukraine: when war involves entire continents

For Ukraine, Russia's recruitment of foreigners is not only an attempt to compensate for the lack of its own mobilization resources, but also an element of a broader hybrid strategy designed to create the appearance of "international support" for aggression and at the same time blur the Kremlin's personal responsibility.¹¹ In Russian propaganda, the presence of Africans or Asians at the front is often presented as "international solidarity," while in reality it is about people who ended up at war as a result of deception, unemployment, and lack of prospects at home.⁹

The recording of such cases and the publication of the testimonies of the recruits themselves in international media — from the BBC to Ukrainian and African publications — help Ukraine reveal the true nature of this "solidarity" and build a broader coalition of countries interested in ending the practice of military human trafficking.³ After all, today someone else's son from KwaZulu-Natal is fighting and dying in Donbas, and tomorrow a similar scheme could target young people from another continent — and this is what international law and common political will must oppose.⁷

International law and limits of liability

South Africa has its own Foreign Military Service Act, which prohibits its citizens from participating in armed groups abroad without official permission, but the story of the 17 men shows that legal regulations are not enough if they are not backed up by prevention, clarification and real sentences for recruiters.⁵ At the international level, the UN Convention against the Recruitment of Mercenaries is in force, but not all states have ratified it, and the very definition of "mercenary" leaves many loopholes that are used by both states and private military structures, disguising their actions under supposedly legal labor contracts.¹¹

In the case of South Africa, the key element may be proving the lack of informed consent: if the investigation confirms that the men were not told the true nature of the "work" and had no real opportunity to refuse upon arrival in Russia, this will strengthen the position of both Pretoria and Kyiv in demanding that the actions of the organizers be investigated as human trafficking and a crime related to a war of aggression.⁶ This, in turn, may set a precedent for other cases of recruitment of citizens of the Global South into the Russian army and push international institutions to update their approaches to combating this phenomenon.⁸

Money that turns poverty into a weapon

The promise of high salaries became a central element of recruitment: men from poor areas of South Africa were offered amounts unattainable in their communities, as well as housing, health insurance, and the prospect of further earnings — a typical set of arguments for those seeking any path to financial stability.⁸ However, testimonies from returned recruits from other countries show that payments are often lower than promised, are made irregularly, and any "insurance guarantees" actually do not work: families do not receive compensation if their loved ones disappear or die at the front.⁹

The economic model of such schemes looks cynically simple: recruiters in the countries of origin receive a reward for each "candidate", part of the funds settle with Russian intermediaries, and the real price - injuries, psychological trauma, or death - is paid by those who agreed to the trip and their families.¹² For the Russian leadership, this is a cheap way to compensate for its own losses while minimizing political risk within the country: the deaths of foreigners do not cause mass protests on the streets of Russian cities, and information about them is easily drowned out in the noise of propaganda.¹⁰

The voice of families as a challenge to indifference

Despite the distance of thousands of kilometers, the stories of South African families strangely echo the Ukrainian experience: mothers in Johannesburg and Durban await a call from their sons, just as Ukrainian mothers in Kyiv or Kharkiv await a call from those who defend their land in Ukrainian uniform.³ In South Africa, initiative groups of relatives have already formed, putting pressure on the government, contacting the media, recording video appeals, and demanding not only the return of their loved ones, but also to do everything possible to ensure that no other young man falls into a similar trap.¹³

Their voice is increasingly heard in the international information space: from investigations by leading publications to TV stories and materials on social networks, where these stories are becoming an important element of awareness of how far the shadows of Russia's war against Ukraine extend.¹³ It is thanks to these testimonies that the words "absolute evil" cease to be a journalistic figure and acquire concrete meaning - sons torn from life, crushed hopes, and a war that should never have affected these people.¹

Lessons for the future: how to stop military slavery

The scandal surrounding South Africans tricked into joining the war on the side of Russia has already forced the South African government to be more active in warning young people about the dangers of fake ads for "jobs in Russia" and "training programs," especially on social media, where such offers spread most quickly.⁸ The authorities separately addressed women, emphasizing that they can also be drawn into dangerous schemes — from working at military factories to participating in the production of weapons for Russia.⁶

It is important for Ukraine to continue documenting all cases of foreign participation in Russian aggression, offering those who were captured the opportunity to testify and explain how they ended up at the front - this is not only a humane step, but also an important contribution to building future international processes against the organizers of such schemes.³ At the same time, African states are receiving a clear signal: Russia's war against Ukraine is not a distant conflict, but a real threat to their own communities, if those who turn human lives into commodities for the front are not stopped.¹²

Sources

1. The Guardian: 'Outright evil:' anguish and anger over South Africans tricked into fighting for Russia
2. Shafaqna / NZ aggregator: 'Outright evil:' anguish and anger over South Africans tricked into fighting for Russia
3. BBC News: South Africans trapped in Donbas after joining Russia-Ukraine war
4. BBC News: South Africans in Ukraine: 'Scared and desperate' after allegedly being duped by Zuma's daughter to fight for Russia
5. BBC News: Nonkululeko Mantula - South African radio presenter among five charged over Russia recruitment plot
6. Reuters / RBC-Ukraine: South Africa probes recruitment of 17 citizens to fight in Russia's war against Ukraine
7. NV / Reuters: South Africa probes recruitment of citizens sent to fight in Ukraine
8. UNITED24 Media: A group of 17 South Africans tricked into fighting Russia's war in Ukraine
9. BBC / analytics: Kenyans fighting for Russia – lured by job offers but sent to the front line
10. CNN: The daughter of South Africa's former leader accused of luring men to fight for Russia in Ukraine
11. Babel / Reuters: South Africa investigates recruitment of its citizens for war against Ukraine
12. DW News: Are South African men being lured into fighting Russia's war in Ukraine?
13. Stories on international TV channels and social media: appeal from families of South African recruits demanding the return of their loved ones home