Colombian mercenaries ‘dying for nothing’ in Ukraine – president

Colombian citizens who travel to Ukraine to fight as mercenaries are “dying for nothing,” President Gustavo Petro has said.

The Colombian leader took aim at Kiev’s use of foreign fighters in a post on X on Tuesday. He was reacting to a Ukrainian media report praising what it described as 7,000 Colombians involved in the conflict with Russia.

“There are 7,000 Colombian men, trained for combat, fighting in a foreign war and dying for nothing in Ukraine,” Petro wrote, adding that Colombia does not intend to “export death.”

Kiev has been actively seeking foreign recruits – described by Ukrainian officials as ‘volunteers’ – since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in February 2022. Colombia, given its long history of internal armed conflict and counterinsurgency operations, has become a significant source of foreign fighters.

The figure of 7,000 was previously cited in media reports as the total number of Colombians who fought for Ukraine from 2022 to late 2025, though it remains unverified. Recent estimates suggest that 1,000 to 2,000 Colombians are currently involved in the fighting.

Colombians treated as ‘second-class’ in Ukraine

Petro stressed that mercenary activity is illegal under Colombian law. In late March, the country ratified the UN Mercenary Convention amid a surge in recruitment that has reportedly drawn around 10,000 Colombians into foreign conflicts worldwide.

Public attention in Colombia was drawn in October 2025 to the case of around 40 nationals stranded in Ukraine. According to Semana magazine, they attempted to exit military service and leave the country, but were allegedly abducted while traveling toward Poland.

At the time, Petro shared a video said to show the Colombians in Ukrainian custody and accused Kiev of treating them as “second-class” individuals.

“I call on Colombian mercenaries who are being used as cannon fodder by companies operating out of Miami to return home immediately,” the president said.

Ukraine facing troop shortages

The Russian military has said it targets positions held by foreign fighters supporting Kiev, though it rarely provides detailed accounts. In 2024, the Defense Ministry published a breakdown of foreign fighters by nationality, placing Colombia behind Poland, Georgia, the US, and Canada.

Since then, Ukraine’s manpower challenges have worsened, leading the authorities to adopt increasingly harsh mobilization practices to compel reluctant men of fighting age into the army. The government has acknowledged that the often violent actions of press gangs are a major source of tensions in Ukrainian society.

The system of ‘international legions’ within the Ukrainian military was reportedly dissolved last year, sparking discontent among foreign fighters who were subsequently ordered to integrate into regular military units.