MK fighters’ Russia hellhole

Two of the 17 South African men lured to Russia under false pretences have been severely wounded in drone attacks on the front line in Ukraine, while another is missing, presumed dead or captured.

The Sunday Times can reveal that a 39-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal deployed by Russia to the Donbas war zone in Ukraine was injured in a drone attack in December, resulting in the amputation of his foot.

Another South African man, a 45-year-old from the same province, has been confined to a wheelchair since he was injured in a drone attack. His colleagues are unsure if his condition is permanent.

All the men’s names are known to the Sunday Times, but family members have asked that they not be published due to fears they may be targeted.

Thulani Mahlangu, a member of a support group liaising with the government, said the wife of the amputee had been in hospital for two weeks after learning of her husband’s fate.

A parent who has four sons serving in Russia, and who is a close relative of the Zuma family, said they had sought an audience with MK Party leader Jacob Zuma during the December holidays but were not satisfied with his explanation.

“Perhaps, once all the men have returned, he will go public and explain what really happened. I must admit that we didn’t like [President Cyril] Ramaphosa, but he has turned out to be our saviour on this matter,” the parent said.

“These boys are still traumatised physically and emotionally — even I myself have not spoken to them to ask exactly what they’ve gone through.”

According to family members, the men were promised salaries of R45,000 a month. But they received that amount only once, in September. Even then, they were compelled to donate part of their pay towards the purchase of Russian military equipment for the war.

On Thursday four of the 17 men finally returned home after months of anguish and unanswered pleas. Before being released, they were required to provide statements to the police. Their return plane tickets were paid for by the South African government through its Moscow embassy.

Police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe confirmed that the men were questioned by the Hawks on their arrival in South Africa. “The matter is being handled by the team that deals with cases against the state. Warning statements were taken and their devices seized, as this forms part of an ongoing investigation,” she said.

South African law prohibits citizens from joining foreign armed conflicts without authorisation.

Zuma’s daughter Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma‑Mncube recently opened a case against her sister, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, for allegedly luring South Africans into Russia’s war. Mathe declined to clarify whether the ongoing probe is linked to that case, saying the police do not comment on active investigations.

The four returnees have been told not to speak to the media in case their accounts jeopardise efforts to repatriate the rest of the group still stuck in the war zone.

Family members, however, have begun to share fragments of their ordeal. They say the men described harrowing and racist treatment at the hands of Russian officers.

Upon arrival, they were forced to burn their belongings, stripped of their identities and issued Russian fatigues, they said. Without preparation or training, they were thrust directly into the war zone, shouted at, abused, and treated as expendable outsiders, living under constant fear of Ukrainian drone strikes.

I believe that the former president and his daughter Duduzile should be arrested and prosecuted for their role in luring the men to fight for Russia under false pretext

—  Jabulani Khumalo, MK Party founder

Jabulani Khumalo, the founder of the MK Party, was among those who welcomed the men at OR Tambo International Airport. He said it was distressing to witness their trauma. “I believe that the former president and his daughter Duduzile should be arrested and prosecuted for their role in luring the men to fight for Russia under false pretext,” he said.

Research reports suggest that up to 35 South Africans may have been recruited for the conflict. Several of the men said Zuma-Sambudla was one of the main recruiters. Some are said to be close to the former president’s family.

Russia’s recruitment drive has not been limited to South Africa. Young men from more than 30 countries across the continent have been lured with promises of high salaries and civilian jobs, only to be sent straight to the front lines in Ukraine. A February 2026 study compiled by the All Eyes On Wagner investigative group in partnership with INPACT estimated that at least 1,500 Africans have been recruited into Russia’s war in Ukraine since 2023, with hundreds killed, many captured, and others still missing.

Governments from Kenya to Cameroon have raised the alarm, with Kenya’s foreign minister, Musalia Mudavadi, announcing he will travel to Moscow in March to demand the release of Kenyan nationals.

Ramaphosa raised the plight of the trapped men directly with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on February 11 via a phone call, in which the latter pledged to assist in efforts to repatriate South African men trapped in the combat zone.

Responding to a media query, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said discussions with Russia were ongoing: “The process to secure the return of all the men remains under way, as discussed between President Ramaphosa and President Putin. That’s all I’ll say in this matter. The rest I won’t comment on due to the delicacy of the matter and the process.”