Russia-Ukraine war: Another foreign national arrested in SA, bringing total to 10

Another foreign national has been intercepted South Africa allegedly en route to fight in the Russian/Ukraine war.

According to the South African Police Service (Saps), the suspect was arrested by an integrated multidisciplinary investigation team involving Interpol Pretoria NCB, the Hawks’ Crimes Against the State and Serious Organised Crime Investigation based in Germiston, International Law Enforcement agencies, Saps Crime Intelligence, the Modus Operandi Centre, the Gauteng Provincial Tracking Team and the various security companies.

The 38-year-old foreign national was arrested on Wednesday.

They face charges under the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act 15 of 1998.

This brings to 10 the total number of foreign nationals arrested in South Africa for the same alleged crime this week.

Foreign nationals arrested

On Monday, nine Zimbabwean nationals appeared in two separate courts in Gauteng following their arrest in connection with an alleged attempt to travel from South Africa to participate in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Five of the accused, Weight Mudhanyane, 23, Javangwe Munyaradzi, 41, Wesley Sothole, 24, Abel Muchenje, 40, and Knowledge Ndunduma, 46, appeared before the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court following their arrest at OR Tambo International Airport.

The other four accused, Bobo Chinhondo, 43, Batsirai Shereni, 24, Liberty Shereni, 44, and Niobe Zhou, 37, appeared before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court following their arrest at a hotel in Bruma.

They were all arrested on 8 November 2026 following an intelligence-driven investigation.

All nine accused face charges of contravening the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act 15 of 1998.

All nine accused remain in custody.

Russia-Ukraine war

These are not the first Africans to travel to Ukraine for the war.

In November last year, the South African government received distress calls from 17 South African men who were trapped in the war-torn Donbas, Ukraine. They wanted assistance to return home.

The men, aged 20 to 39, who came from KwaZulu-Natal and one from the Eastern Cape, were lured to join mercenary forces involved in the Ukraine-Russia war under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts.

Under the Foreign Military Assistance Act of 1998, it is illegal for South African citizens or entities to offer or provide military assistance to foreign governments, or to participate in the armies of foreign governments, unless authorised by the South African government.

Earlier this year, Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said when the South African delegation engaged with the Russians, “it became very clear” that the Russian government was not involved in the arrangements for the South African men to go there.

“But as the South African authorities, we could not have access to those people [who made the arrangements]. And part of the challenge was that these young men were made to sign contracts, and that bound them for a time period,” she said at the time.

They have since returned to South Africa.