Pakistan, Feb. 11 -- JOHANNESBURG/NAIROBI - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held talks on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin to facilitate the return of South Africans who were lured into fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine, the South African presidency said.

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The government said it had received "distress calls" from 17 men trapped in Ukraine's Donbas region after being misled into joining Russian mercenary forces. Ramaphosa and Putin "pledged their support to the process of returning South Africans fighting alongside Russian forces," according to a statement, adding that bilateral teams will continue engagements to finalize repatriation.

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