Mercenaries from South Africa arrested in Ukraine for desertion

In Ukraine, two South African citizens who came to work as paramedics were arrested, writes City Press.

Jovan Meinhardt from Cape Town and Tyrone Slabbert from Johannesburg came to the country to sign a contract to work as paramedics for six months. According to the publication, before the trip, Meinhardt worked for a security company, and Slabbert worked as a security guard on cruise liners.

The men were forced to undergo military training. Slabbert's relative, Sylvia van Wyk, noted that there were no signs that the mercenaries would participate in hostilities.

"They took the opportunity to undergo medical training on a six-month contract with good pay. They both had to pay the fare to Poland, and then train tickets to Lviv, Ukraine," van Wyk said.

Meinhardt and Slabbert left the training center by car and tried to get out in Poland. At the border, they were stopped by the Ukrainian police, South African citizens were accused of violating the contract and desertion, both were sent under arrest.

The men managed to inform their families about the detention and their whereabouts, as well as transfer the phone number of the recruiter who helped them sign contracts, writes City Press.

At the Embassy of the Republic, the families of Meinhardt and Slabbert were informed that the men could have violated South African legislation prohibiting mercenary activities and joined the It is illegal for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.