South African authorities have arrested a 10th person on suspicion of violating the country's mercenary laws by attempting to travel to Russia to fight in the war in Ukraine.
The arrest follows the detention of nine other suspects earlier this week in a joint investigation by Interpol and South African police into alleged recruitment activities for the conflict.
Five of the suspects appeared before the Kempton Park Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where prosecutors said they would oppose their bail applications.
The remaining four were expected to appear in court on Thursday after being arrested at a Johannesburg hotel while preparing to board flights to Russia, police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said.
The first nine suspects have been identified as Zimbabwean nationals. Prosecutors told the court on Tuesday that five of them had provided addresses in Zimbabwe during processing.
They face charges under South Africa's Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act, which prohibits mercenary activities and regulates military assistance to parties involved in foreign conflicts, including recruitment and training.
Several groups of South Africans have previously been brought back home after claiming they were deceived into fighting on the front lines in Ukraine. They said they had initially been promised security training in Russia.
Reports from other African countries have also indicated that people were lured into recruitment schemes through false social media advertisements promising lucrative employment and attractive benefits. South African authorities have arrested several individuals accused of facilitating such recruitment.
Radio presenter Nonkululeko Mantula was charged in late 2025 with recruiting four South African men to join the Russian military. The four men also faced charges.
In Zimbabwe, authorities said in March that 15 citizens had been killed in the Ukraine war, while efforts were underway to secure the return of another 66. They said the recruits had been promised well-paid jobs but later had their travel documents confiscated and were forced to fight.
Kenya's government said in February that more than 1,000 of its citizens had been recruited to fight for Russia. Families of the recruits staged protests in Nairobi in March, demanding their relatives' return and legal action against those responsible.
South African police also investigated allegations that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, helped recruit 17 South African men to fight for Russia under the pretext of providing security training. She denied any wrongdoing and resigned from Parliament in November 2025 following the allegations.