At least 17 young South Africans have fallen victim to a recruitment scam and found themselves on the front lines as part of Russian troops. The story of the 20-year-old son of a man named Dubandella from Durban became public after the father contacted Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
According to Reuters, in July, the young man from South Africa went to Russia, hoping to get a VIP security guard profession, as the family did not have money for university. Instead, five months later, he found himself in the epicenter of fierce battles in eastern Ukraine.
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The father showed journalists photos that his son secretly sends from the front. They show an exhausted young man in combat uniform with an assault rifle and shots from shelters in basements where he has to hide from Ukrainian drones.
Sometimes there is no food, even for a week; sometimes there is no water. I want to go home... Please, Dad, talk to someone
According to the recruits, they are forced to dig trenches in the cold without proper supplies. Most of the 17 men (aged 20 to 39) claim that they were recruited by an unidentified group of mercenaries, and the contracts they signed were in Russian.
Pretoria's diplomatic efforts
The South African government officially confirmed that it has been dealing with this case since November 6, when it received the first signals for help from citizens stranded in Donbas. Presidential spokesman Cyril Ramaphosa Vincent Magwenya called the process of returning the men "very delicate."
The process of returning these young men remains a very delicate process. They are in serious danger, and we are still negotiating with various authorities... The focus is more on the Russian authorities, as the information we have is that they were recruited into the Russian armed forces
The Russian Foreign Ministry is currently ignoring requests regarding the legal status of South Africans and the circumstances of their recruitment.