Seventeen South African men, sixteen from KwaZulu-Natal and one from the Eastern Cape, have been reportedly trapped in the war-torn Donbas region of Ukraine after being lured into joining mercenary forces under the guise of lucrative employment.

The South African government received a distress call from the group. The government said the men were apparently lured to join mercenary forces involved in the Russia-Ukraine war under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts. The South African government must give authorization before South Africans provide military assistance or join foreign armies.

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation into how the men were recruited, while the government is working through diplomatic channels to secure their safe return.