Ramaphosa Thanks Putin for Helping Return South Africans from Ukraine War

(MENAFN) South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for assisting in the return of 17 South African nationals who were allegedly misled into participating in the Russia-Ukraine war, according to reports.

Last November, South African authorities revealed that they had received urgent communications from the group after the men had joined mercenary units involved in the conflict. The individuals reportedly believed they were traveling to Russia for bodyguard training but instead found themselves deployed to the front lines in Ukraine.

The presidency confirmed that four of the men returned home last Friday, with 11 expected to be "on their way home soon" and the remaining two scheduled to return at a later stage.

Officials also said that an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding their recruitment is still underway.

Under South African law, working as a mercenary or fighting for a foreign government is prohibited unless explicit authorization is granted by the state.

Family members told reporters that upon arrival in Russia, the men were presented with contracts written in Russian. Because they could not understand the language, they were unaware that the documents committed them to serving as mercenaries fighting against Ukrainian forces.

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