Around 2,000 Colombian citizens are fighting against the Russian army in Ukraine, the German newspaper Die Welt reported in a front-line report.
Shortly after the outbreak of the war in February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on people from all over the world to join the fight against Vladimir Putin's troops. Since then, about 8,000 volunteers from dozens of countries have joined the ground forces alone, including men from Germany.
Around 40 percent of the fighters who entered the country come from South America. Many foreign soldiers are part of the International Legion.
Initially, the selection process was strict: only those with previous military experience were allowed to stay. Since then, Ukraine has relaxed the requirements. Many of them come without any military experience.
In addition to Colombians, Chileans and Brazilians also fight in the ZSU. Some of them fight for ideological reasons, to help Ukraine defend itself from the Russian aggressor. For others, the reason is financial.
In Colombia, soldiers' salaries are extremely low. In Ukraine, front-line soldiers usually earn just under 3,000 euros per month. Unlike Ukrainian soldiers, foreign recruits can terminate their contracts at any time.
The influx is so great that brigades are forming separate companies consisting exclusively of South Americans. Commanders train them in Spanish.
Despite the rapid progress in drone warfare - both in the air and on the ground - it is still the people who take and hold positions, the German newspaper Die Welt points out. The Russian army significantly outnumbers the Ukrainian one - despite the heavy losses it has suffered on the front.
Even Russia - contrary to its own claims of great power - is dependent on foreign support. While Iran supplies Moscow with missiles and China with drone components in huge quantities, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un sent 15,000 of his compatriots last year. They were mainly deployed in the fighting for the Russian region of Kursk, where Ukraine launched a surprise invasion.