South Africa's government said on Thursday it will investigate how 17 of its citizens joined mercenary forces in the Russia-Ukraine conflict after the men sent distress calls for help to return home.

The men were lured into fighting under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts, a statement issued by South Africa's presidency said. All are between the ages of 20 and 39 years and are trapped in Ukraine's Donbas region, it said, adding that the government was working to bring them home.

"President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation into the circumstances that led to the recruitment of these young men into these seemingly mercenary activities," said the statement.

The presidency statement did not say which side the men were fighting on, and presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwengya said: "We don't know yet, hence the investigation".

Most of Ukraine's Donbas region, where the 17 were said to be trapped, is under Russian military control, and Moscow has been accused in the past by developing countries of recruiting their citizens to fight on its behalf under false pretences.

SOUTH AFRICA NON-ALIGNED OVER WAR

A spokesperson for Ukraine's foreign ministry said it was looking into the reports. Russia's embassy in South Africa did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

South Africa seeks to project itself as non-aligned on the war, while maintaining warm relations with Moscow as a fellow member of the BRICS group of emerging economies. Ramaphosa has met leaders of both countries.

Under South African law, it is illegal for citizens to provide military assistance to foreign governments or participate in foreign armies unless authorised by South Africa.

AFRICANS CAUGHT IN THE CONFLICT UNDER FALSE PRETENCES

Kenya said last month that some of its citizens were detained in military camps across Russia after unknowingly getting caught up in the conflict.

"Agents who masquerade as working with the Russian government... use unscrupulous methods including falsified information to lure innocent Kenyans into the battlefield," the country's foreign ministry said in a statement on October 27.

India, Nepal and Sri Lanka are among other countries that have said scores of their citizens were recruited under false pretences to join Russia's war effort.

In August, South Africa's government warned young people to be wary of fake job offers in Russia, which were circulating on social media, after reports that some South African women had been tricked into making drones.

The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said in a May report that women from more than 20 African countries had been recruited under false pretences to make drones for Russia's war.