Pretoria is \u201cworking through diplomatic channels to secure the return of these young men,\u201d the statement added, though it did not specify in which sense they were stuck.<\/p>\n
South African law prohibits citizens from providing military assistance to other governments or joining foreign armed forces without official authorization.<\/p>\n
The statement also did not specify which side the men had joined, and the South African government did not immediately respond to POLITICO\u2019s request for comment. But a Ukrainian intelligence official, after being granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter candidly, said it was \u201cclear\u201d the men were fighting for Russia.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s clear those citizens were not fighting on our side. Otherwise, South Africa would have said so publicly,\u201d the official said. \u201cAnd we\u2019re not luring anyone into the army. There was never a scandal. But their BRICS friends do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Founded in 2009, the BRICS group \u2014 Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa \u2014 has maintained close ties with Moscow despite the Kremlin\u2019s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The bloc expanded last year to include Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Ethiopia, positioning itself as a counterweight to the G7.<\/p>\n
Russia has intensified recruitment in Africa and the Middle East as both Moscow and Kyiv struggle with heavy losses and manpower shortages.<\/p>\n