• The men claim they were recruited by the MK Party for training in Russia but were forced into battle on Ukraine's frontlines.

• A leaked Jacob Zuma letter to Russia's defence minister admits the scandal could destroy the MK Party's reputation and relations with Moscow.

Jacob Zuma's MK Party is accused of tricking 17 South African men into joining Russian forces in the Ukraine war.

The men say they believed they were travelling to Russia for bodyguard training. Instead, they were sent to the Donbas region, dressed in Russian uniforms and thrown into combat, News24 revealed.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa's office confirmed receiving "distress calls" from the trapped men, saying they were "lured to join mercenary forces under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts."

A leaked letter signed by Zuma, addressed to Russia's defence minister, pleads for their removal from the frontlines.

"Sending these untrained, inexperienced volunteers into active combat is a certain tragedy," Zuma wrote. "It would be a devastating loss to their families, to our party, and to the future of Russo-African relations."

The letter, dated 19 September, reveals Zuma's concern that the situation could damage the MK Party. He warned that Western media were already investigating the story and that his party was "suppressing" the fallout.

MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said he could not confirm the letter's authenticity but did not deny it was real.

Families of the men say they were told to pack lightly and left with only passports and jackets. Their phones were taken after arrival, and days later, they learned the men were fighting on the frontlines.

"They were given uniforms, put in trucks and taken to the bush," one family member said. "They were staying underground in holes - there were drones everywhere."