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Ukraine has recruited around 2,000 Colombian nationals as contract soldiers to help fill critical gaps, nearly four years after the start of the war with Russia, according to German media.
The recruits are among thousands of foreign fighters currently serving in Ukraine's armed forces, about 40 percent of whom come from South America, with some brigades forming Spanish-speaking units made up almost entirely of Colombians.
"Many come without any military experience," Die Welt reported, citing a Ukrainian commander identified by the codename "Musician," who leads an infantry unit under the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
"But there are also some who have previously served with Colombian special forces or the police in Colombia or Brazil, although these are few."
"The Musician," a former piano teacher who now runs combat training for South American volunteers, said recruits undergo at least a month of instruction before being sent to the front.
"My fighters fulfill their duties and with great success. I try to convey to them that they are achieving something great here, something that affects us all," declared the commander.
President Volodymyr Zelensky first called for foreign volunteers shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, from which some 8,000 personnel from 65 countries have joined Kiev's ground forces, many of them through the International Territorial Defense Legion of Ukraine.
The recruitment surge has intensified as Ukraine faces challenges in replenishing its ranks, with mobilization still limited to men aged 25 and over and a recent policy allowing those between 18 and 22 to leave the country, further reducing the available workforce.
Currently, Russian forces outnumber Ukrainian troops by up to seven to one in certain areas.
Ukrainian officials said higher salaries are one reason foreign fighters are joining their ranks. In Colombia, military salaries are only a fraction of what Ukraine offers, with frontline soldiers earning about 3,000 euros ($3,450) a month.
Although foreign recruits receive the same pay and benefits as Ukrainian troops and can terminate their contracts at any time, the risks of war remain high.
Ukrainian economist Roman Sheremeta reported that as of October 2025, 348 Colombians had been killed in the fighting, along with hundreds of other foreign volunteers.
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