Four South African men who were reportedly lured to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine returned to the country on Wednesday, the national broadcaster SABC reported.
The group is part of a larger cohort of 19 South African men who, according to reports, were recruited last July under the pretense of job opportunities in Russia but were instead sent to fight in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The four men arrived past 4 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) at OR Tambo International Airport near Johannesburg. Footage aired by SABC showed their arrival, and officials said the men would be processed by South African police.
Last November, South African authorities opened an investigation into allegations that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, had played a role in recruiting South African men to travel to Russia to fight alongside Russian troops.
Reports indicate that men aged between 20 and 39 were lured with promises of employment, only to be enrolled in the Russian army and sent to the front lines of a war they did not wish to join.
In late November, South African police arrested four men en route to Russia via the United Arab Emirates on suspicion of joining a foreign military. Under South African law, citizens and residents are prohibited from participating in unauthorized foreign military activities or mercenary work.
Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said Wednesday that he hopes the remaining South Africans recruited to fight abroad will return safely.
On Feb. 10, President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, discussing the process of facilitating the return of South Africans fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, according to a statement from the presidency.
