Four South African men lured into fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine returned home on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said.
Their arrival comes days after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the return of South Africans caught up in the Ukraine war.
It was not immediately clear if the four were part of a group of 17 men the presidency previously said it was trying to bring home.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) showed the men arriving at Johannesburg’s main airport before they were escorted to a police holding area.
Also see: Fifth suspect arrested in ongoing probe into illegal Russia-Ukraine recruitment
The presidency told AFP that the “process to secure the release of the men” was still ongoing.
WATCH | A representative of the families of the South Africans who arrived today from Russia expressed joy at the men’s return home. They were part of a group reportedly lured to Russia for bodyguard training. pic.twitter.com/Jq3LBgZ51O
— SABC News (@SABCNews) February 18, 2026
Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said the authorities could not confirm the timeframe for the arrival of the remaining men, as it 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”.
Locating the group “was a challenging process” and conditions remained difficult for those still on the front line, he said.
“The Russian government is only assisting us with their return and that really complicates the situation,” Ronald 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.”
#SONADebate| President Cyril Ramaphosa has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin to work together to bring back South Africans that were sold by MK Party President Jacob Zuma” – ANC MP Ronald Lamola#SONA2026 pic.twitter.com/OisRq4TNAG
— ANC – African National Congress (@MYANC) February 18, 2026
Also see: Human trafficking charges laid against Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla amid Ukraine war allegations
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.
In November, Pretoria said it had received “distress calls” from 17 men who were trapped in the epicentre of the fighting in Ukraine’s Donbas region after being tricked into joining mercenary groups.
South African law prohibits its citizens from fighting for a foreign country’s army without government authorisation.
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.
A daughter of South Africa’s ex‑president Jacob Zuma resigned from parliament after claims she was involved in recruiting men to join Russian mercenaries.
Reports in the South African media said the men were allegedly sent to Russia for security training by the opposition MK party, which is headed by Jacob, South Africa’s leader between 2009 and 2018.
First published by African Insider
Also see: Here is the truth behind the Zuma-Russia mercenary allegations
