Nine Foreigners Arrested in South Africa over Alleged Plans to Fight in the Russia-Ukraine War

South African police have arrested nine foreign nationals who allegedly tried to leave the country to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, according to police.

The arrests were made on Sunday evening, 8 November 2026, in and around Johannesburg. A multidisciplinary team carried out the operation, which police said was intelligence-driven. Two locations were involved: OR Tambo airport and a hotel in Bruma, east of Johannesburg.

The suspects were caught as they were preparing to board flights out of the country. Police have not made public where they were ultimately headed, and the flights' destination is unclear. The group's members are aged between 20 and 26.

The operation involved Interpol, the international police organisation that helps coordinate cooperation between countries. Police said Interpol's involvement indicated that the suspects had also allegedly broken the laws of their home countries, which prompted cooperation with South African authorities. Officials confirmed that none of the nine suspects lived in South Africa, but they declined to disclose their nationalities.

The group is accused of breaking South African laws that outlaw mercenary activity without government permission. The nine suspects are expected to appear in court later on Monday, 9 November, or on Tuesday, 10 November.

The case follows earlier arrests linked to the same conflict. In late November 2025, South African police arrested four men en route to Russia on suspicion that they had been recruited to fight in the military. Earlier that month, the South African government said it had received distress calls from 17 citizens who had joined mercenary forces in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and said it would investigate how they had done so.