https://sputniknews.lat/20231104/mercenarios-colombianos-en-ucrania-quieren-salir-de-apuros-economicos-pero-acaban-muriendo-1145403370.html
Colombian mercenaries in Ukraine: They want to get out of economic difficulties, but in the end they die
Colombian mercenaries in Ukraine: They want to get out of economic difficulties, but in the end they die
Colombian mercenaries who went to fight in Ukraine are selling their property or going into debt to pay for the trip to this country, where many have died… November 4, 2023, Sputnik Mundo
2023-11-04T00:15+0000
2023-11-04T00:15+0000
2023-11-04T00:15+0000
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The newspaper presented the case of Manuel Barrios, who joined the fight against Russian forces in Ukraine because a bank threatened to seize his home in Colombia. Another case is that of Luis Alejandro Herrera, who went to the front to recover the savings he lost in a failed attempt to enter the United States via Mexico. And also Jhoan CerĂłn, who had difficulty feeding his young son. According to the newspaper, Colombians can reportedly earn up to three times more money in Ukraine than in their country. And the large losses and stalemate battles in Ukraine force this. According to the medium, Kiev is looking for new reserves of fighters to replenish its ranks. “In the case of Ukraine (…) they are joined by combatants from poorer countries who more closely resemble the legal definition of mercenaries: soldiers who go to conflicts abroad for economic reasons,” the newspaper says. The former military man worked abroad on private security contracts and is considering the possibility of fighting in Ukraine. “I think they have never heard of Ukraine before… It all comes down to economic motivations.” Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukrainian forces lost more than 90,000 soldiers to death or injury during the counteroffensive launched last June. “Foreign mercenaries also suffer significant losses due to their stupidity. In any case, the public of countries whose governments send people into the conflict zone should know what is happening there. And we will draw people’s attention to evaluate the actions of their rulers,” Putin said last July. Since the start of the Russian operation in Ukraine, Russian forces have destroyed 525 aircraft, 254 helicopters and 8,586 unmanned aerial vehicles; 441 anti-aircraft missile systems, 13,135 tanks and other armored vehicles, 1,177 multiple rocket launcher systems, 6,967 field artillery and mortar guns and 14,923 special military vehicles, the Defense Ministry summarized. “We only know how to handle weapons.” For the poor For Colombians, the army has long been one of the few legal ways to achieve a certain level of economic security. In Colombia, retired professional soldiers receive a lifetime monthly pension of between $400 and $600, as well as free health care for their families. However, these benefits are often not enough to make ends meet, and many are finding that the skills they honed in the jungles and mountains are of little use in civilian life, according to The New York Times. “The only thing we know is how to handle weapons,” AndrĂ©s, a retired Colombian soldier who served in Ukraine and asked that his last name not be used for security reasons, told the newspaper. Some veterans end up joining organized crime groups. A man interviewed for this article said he worked for a Mexican cartel for three months. The conflict in Ukraine gives Colombian veterans a rare chance to change their fate. “He always had the ambition to be something more,” said Paola Ortiz, the widow of Luis Alejandro Herrera, the late Colombian soldier who returned to Ukraine for a second mission this year after his deportation from the United States. “He wanted to send his kids to college, buy a house, open a business.” More than a dozen Colombian veterans and their families described the volunteering process in interviews. According to them, Colombian men travel to Poland on their own and often sell valuable possessions such as cars to pay for the trip. “At the Ukrainian border, they use translation applications to tell border guards that they have military experience and want to fight for Ukraine. Once in the country, they show up at a military base in the western city of Ternopil,” the newspaper added. Of the 60 people who traveled with us, only seven are left. Colombian soldiers said they experienced a very different conflict than the one they experienced against the guerrillas in Colombia. The man, who also wished to remain anonymous, noted that the 60 Colombians who had traveled with him were united and only about seven of him remained. The rest died, were wounded, or returned home after a few weeks at the front.
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https://sputniknews.lat/20231030/aumenta-el-numero-de-soldados-de-kiev-que-se-rendide-en-el-conflicto-en-ukrania-1145237226.html
https://sputniknews.lat/20231002/como-los-mercenarios-extranjeros-se-desencantaron-con-el-conflicto-en-ukrania-1144326748.html
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Ukraine, Colombia, USA, 📰 Russian operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, mercenaries, 🛡️ Conflict areas
Ukraine, Colombia, USA, 📰 Russian operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, mercenaries, 🛡️ Conflict areas
Colombian mercenaries who have gone to fight in Ukraine are selling their property or going into debt to pay for the trip to this country, where many are caught in a conflict very different from the one they are used to and beyond their families are left with nothing, according to testimony published November 3 by The New York Times newspaper.
The newspaper presented the case of Manuel Barrios, who joined the fight against Russian forces in Ukraine because a bank threatened to seize his home in Colombia. Another case is that of Luis Alejandro Herrera, who went to the front to recover the savings he lost in a failed attempt to enter the United States via Mexico. And also Jhoan CerĂłn, who had difficulty supporting his young son.
“The three died in a conflict that, according to their relatives, they knew about or had little interest in,” the newspaper said.
According to the newspaper, the Colombians can supposedly win in Ukraine up to three times more money of what they earn in their country.
“He said he was fighting (…) because of extreme hardship in a country that was not his own,” said Manuel Barrios’ wife, MarĂa Cubillos, in an interview with the New York Times.
And the heavy losses and stagnation of fighting in Ukraine are forcing Kiev to look for new reserves of fighters to replenish its ranks, according to media. “In the case of Ukraine (…) they are joined by combatants from poorer countries who more closely resemble the legal definition of mercenaries: soldiers who go to conflicts abroad for economic reasons,” the newspaper says.
The Russian military is getting better at destroying tanks in Ukraine
“I dare say that not a single Colombian went there to defend democracy,” said Cristian Pérez, who retired from the Colombian army as a sniper.
The former military man worked abroad on private security contracts and is considering the possibility of fighting in Ukraine. “I think they have never heard of Ukraine before (…). “It all depends on economic motivations.”
The Russian President, Wladimir Putinsaid that the Ukrainian armed forces They lost more than 90,000 soldiers due to deaths or injuries during the counteroffensive launched last June.
“As for them foreign mercenariesThey also suffer significant losses due to their stupidity. In any case, the public in countries whose governments send people into conflict zones should know what is happening there. And we will make people aware to evaluate the actions of their rulers,” Putin said last July Russia’s operation in UkraineRussian forces destroyed 525 aircraft, 254 helicopters and 8,586 unmanned aerial vehicles. 441 anti-aircraft missile systems, 13,135 tanks and other armored vehicles, 1,177 multiple rocket launcher systems, 6,967 field artillery pieces and mortars and 14,923 special military vehicles, the Defense Ministry summarized.
“We only know how to handle weapons”
For poor Colombians, the military has long been one of the few legal routes to economic security. In Colombia, retired professional soldiers receive a lifetime monthly pension of between $400 and $600, as well as free health care for their families.
However, these advantages are often not enough to make ends meet, and many find that the skills they honed in the jungles and mountains are of little use in civilian life, according to The New York Times.
“The only thing we know is the use of weapons” Andrés, a retired Colombian soldier who served in Ukraine and asked not to reveal his last name for security reasons, told the newspaper. The number of Kiev soldiers surrendering in the conflict in Ukraine is increasing
Some veterans eventually join organized crime groups. A man interviewed for this article said he worked for a Mexican cartel for three months. The conflict in Ukraine offers Colombian veterans a rare opportunity to change their fate.
“He always had the ambition to be something more,” said Paola Ortiz, the widow of Luis Alejandro Herrera, the late Colombian soldier who returned to Ukraine for a second deployment this year after being deported from the United States. “He wanted to send his kids to college, buy a house, open a business.”
More than a dozen Colombian veterans and their families described the volunteering process in interviews.
According to them, Colombian men travel to Poland on their own and often sell valuable possessions such as cars to pay for the trip. “At the Ukrainian border, they use translation applications to tell border guards that they have military experience and want to fight for Ukraine. Once in the country, they show up at a military base in the western city of Ternopil,” the newspaper added.
How did foreign mercenaries become disillusioned with the conflict in Ukraine?
Of the 60 fellow travelers, only seven are left
Colombian soldiers said they were encountered a completely different conflict from those they had met against the guerrillas in Colombia.
“If you want to come here, you should think about it first,” a Colombian volunteer said in an audio message sent to a veterans chat group in October. “Colombia is child’s play compared to here. If a rocket explodes near you, you will see the devil himself.”
The man, who also requested anonymity, said that of the 60 Colombians who had joined him, only about seven remained. The rest died, were wounded, or returned home after a few weeks at the front.
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