South Africans promised medical roles now detained after being drawn into Ukraine conflict
Two South African nationals, Jhovan Mynhardt and Tyrone Slabbert, have been detained in Ukraine after reportedly being misled into joining military training under the guise of working as paramedics.
The pair arrived in the war-torn country on the understanding that they would be providing medical support to the Ukrainian armed forces, but were instead coerced into combat-related training.
The incident, first reported by News24, has sent shockwaves through the families of the two, who say they were promised non-combatant roles focused on saving lives.
“They were told they’d be saving lives, not training for combat,” a relative said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Mynhardt and Slabbert, both trained medical orderlies, believed they were answering a humanitarian call. Instead, the situation took a drastic turn upon arrival.
Details surrounding their recruitment remain murky, raising serious concerns about the transparency and ethics of international volunteer enlistments in Ukraine.
The South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has not yet issued an official statement, but diplomatic sources indicate efforts are underway to establish the facts and ensure the men’s safety.
This case throws a spotlight on the growing risks faced by foreign volunteers in Ukraine, where roles meant to be humanitarian in nature can quickly be blurred by the realities of war. Paramedics, in particular, have faced growing dangers as Russian forces continue to target medical personnel in violation of international law.
For the families of Mynhardt and Slabbert, the unfolding ordeal is a harrowing reminder of how easily good intentions can become entangled in the complexities of global conflict.