# Government says it has received distress calls for assistance to return home 17 South African men, between the ages of 20 and 39 years old, who are trapped in the war-torn Ukrainian region of Donbas. They were lured to join mercenary forces involved in the Ukraine-Russia war under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts. Sixteen of the men come from KwaZulu-Natal and one from the Eastern Cape. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, says government condemns the exploitation of young, vulnerable people:
Government called to assist 17 South African men trapped in Ukraine [SOUND]
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