South Africa launches investigation into 17 citizens fighting in Ukraine

Men aged 20 to 39 lured to join mercenary force' in Donbas region have requested assistance to return home

South Africa is launching an investigation into how 17 of its citizens ended up in the war-torn region of Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

The office of the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, said it had received distress calls from 17 men, aged between 20 and 39, who had been lured to join mercenary forces involved in the Ukraine-Russia war under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts" and were now requesting assistance to return home.