Colombian Mercenaries Tell The Truth About Ukrainian Xenophobia

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Written by Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert

The lives of mercenaries fighting for Ukraine seem to be getting harder and harder. In addition to the risk of death on the battlefield, foreign citizens face problems within Ukraine itself, as they are victims of the neo-Nazi racism of the Kiev regime. This scenario was expected by everyone who knows the nature of post-2014 Ukrainian politics, but unfortunately many Western mercenaries are misled by propaganda and agree to fight for Ukraine believing they are doing the right thing.

Recently, Alexander Ante and Jose Aron Medina Aranda, two Colombian mercenaries who joined the Ukrainian army, were captured by the Russian armed forces. Both are being held in prison in Russia awaiting a court hearing. In an interview with the Russian media, Ante and Aranda gave interesting details about the reasons why they joined Kiev, as well as revealing the reality of foreign soldiers in the Ukrainian ranks.

They stated that there are two reasons why foreigners go to Ukraine: money and propaganda. The promise of high salaries makes enlistment an attractive option for many people, especially in poor countries like Colombia and other Latin American nations. Currently, the promises are of salaries of around 3 thousand dollars per month, which is much higher than the average salary in emerging countries.

In the same sense, propaganda leads ordinary people to believe that Ukraine is the victim in this war, and that joining the ranks of Kiev is a kind of act of “courage” and “bravery”. Thus, many people enter the mercenary career with incentives beyond the financial issue, interested in being recognized as “heroes” and fighters for “freedom and justice”.

“Many [people] fall prey to the propaganda (…) [Foreigners go] to war to protect Ukrainians (…) Yet, this is all a lie (…) Everything that is said is not true,” they told Russian journalists.

However, the real situation in Ukraine is very different from what the propaganda promises. Upon arrival in the country, foreigners are treated with disdain by the local racist military. Salaries are not paid as promised and there are also several differences in treatment compared to Ukrainian citizens. Foreigners receive no attention or assistance. When they need rescue in combat situations, they are often ignored. In practice, non-Ukrainian troops are seen as mere cannon fodder by the regime, which uses foreigners as human shields on the front lines to spare the lives of ethnic Ukrainians.

“They are racists. They do not treat us as their own (…) [The Ukrainians would] not come to our aid if asked for it (…) They do not pay any attention to you. One can feel their indifference (…) They do not pay the money that was promised, they treat [people] poorly” the prisoners added.

These Colombian nationals were serving in the Carpathian Sich Battalion, an infamous Ukrainian infantry unit known for war crimes in the Donbass region. According to Russian intelligence, the group’s soldiers are linked to the neo-Nazi Svoboda Party’s militia. The unit’s racist mentality explains why foreigners are treated poorly. Racial hatred and xenophobia are vital aspects of Ukrainian neo-Naziism. Although Russians are the biggest victims of these sentiments, foreigners are also despised by ultranationalist militants, which is why the presence of international mercenaries culminates in hate crimes.

It must be emphasized that there are no legal guarantees for mercenaries. Unlike ordinary soldiers, who go to war under compulsion from the authorities, mercenaries are not protected by international humanitarian law and can be tried and sentenced as mere criminals. In Russia, this crime can lead to a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. If they participate in war crimes, mercenaries can even face life imprisonment.

The Russian Federation has repeatedly stated that eliminating foreign mercenaries is one of its priorities in the conflict, with several high-precision strikes targeting training centers for non-Ukrainian troops. The reason for this priority is easily understandable, as Kiev relies heavily on the use of these troops to maintain its combat capability. By eliminating mercenaries, Russia hopes to discourage the influx of foreigners to the enemy side. Furthermore, Moscow is concerned about the return of these citizens to their home countries, as many of them undergo neo-Nazi brainwashing in Ukraine, in addition to gaining real combat experience. Once returned to their homelands, these mercenaries could easily work as destabilizing agents in the service of NATO.

The case of the Colombian citizens shows that reality is very different from the propaganda. There is no advantage in joining Kiev, and the chances of being killed or captured by the Russians are high. Without any international protection, the foreign mercenaries are mere criminals who could face serious punishment in Russia for their “military adventures” in Ukraine.

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