Families say men recruited for Russia traumatised after returning from Ukraine war

Four South African men who returned from the Russia-Ukraine conflict on Wednesday spent their first day back in the country providing statements to police and surrendering their mobile phones as part of an ongoing investigation, The Mercury has reported.

According to their families, the men are being accommodated at a secure location in Johannesburg to allow them time to rest. Their phones were confiscated upon arrival, a move relatives believe forms part of a probe into how the group was recruited and transported to the war zone.

The men had been in the conflict for several months. They are among 17 South Africans believed to have travelled to Russia, with more expected to return in the coming days.

One of the group, who sustained severe injuries, will remain in Russia for further medical treatment. He is reportedly set to receive a prosthetic leg.

Parents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were informed that the men’s devices were taken to assist investigators in establishing how they were lured into the conflict.

“When they arrived, their phones were taken by the police conducting an investigation into how they ended up in Russia in the first place,” one parent said.

Relatives described the men as deeply traumatised by their experiences. One mother said her child and the others were struggling to process their return home.

“They still cannot believe that they are back,” she said. “We have not seen them physically yet, but from our brief conversations, it is clear they will need extensive counselling.”

Another parent, Phumla Zuma, said two of her eight children had returned but others remain abroad. She described her relief as incomplete.

“My happiness is incomplete. Only two of my children who were there have returned,” she said. “We will only truly celebrate when all 17 are safely home.”

Zuma said the families were notified by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) on Tuesday that the first group was due to return, though many only believed it once the men landed.

She added that those still in Russia have reportedly been moved out of the conflict zone following recent engagements between President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Russian counterpart.

“They are now in a safe area and waiting to be brought home,” she said.

The psychological toll of the conflict has become evident, according to relatives. Zuma said her son is triggered by the sound of aircraft, mistaking it for a drone.

“That alone tells you how deeply traumatised they are,” she said.

Duduzile Zuma, daughter of uMkhonto weSizwe Party leader and former president Jacob Zuma, has been named in allegations that she played a role in persuading some of the men to travel to Russia under the guise of security training. Some of the men have previously claimed they were influenced by assurances that she was also participating in the programme.

Authorities have not confirmed any charges.

Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo said the investigation is ongoing and declined to comment further.

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