Ukrainian forces captured two Colombian citizens near Pokrovsk who say Russian recruiters deceived them with promises of construction work before confiscating their documents and sending them into combat without food or water, according to the Ukrainian 425th Separate Assault Battalion SKELYA.
The men, who surrendered with fully loaded magazines having never fired a shot, describe a trafficking operation funneling Latin American and African workers to the front lines through false promises.
"They took our passports, gave us machine guns"
One of the captured men, from Cali, Colombia, says he was working in Dubai when a contact told him about a job guarding a gas processing plant in Russia—"maximum one month of work." Another was promised work as a welder for 10 million Colombian pesos (roughly $2,500) per month.
Both flew from Bogotá to Istanbul to Ufa. Upon arrival in Ufa, Russian handlers confiscated their passports, phones, and all documents. Three days later, they were loaded onto a bus for a 36-hour journey to an unknown destination.
"They told us we wouldn't fight, just guard and repair a gas plant. That's why many people agreed," one man says in the video testimony.
Sent to assault positions without training or supplies
Instead of construction sites, the Colombians received military uniforms, assault rifles, ammunition, radios, and cables. Their instructions consisted of three words: "Go, go, go."
"They didn't tell us there would be fighting. They didn't tell us we'd end up at the front. They didn't explain what to do. They simply deceived us," one captive recounts.
The men describe walking for five days without payment, then spending four days without food or water. Russian drone operators monitored them constantly, threatening death if they tried to escape.
"When I tried to sit down, the drone operator screamed: 'Either you walk, or you die,'" one man recalls.
A friend recruited by deception killed in action
One of the Colombians says recruiters asked him to bring helpers—so he convinced his friend Luchito, who was living in Spain, to join.
"I believed what they told me—that the work would be safe, that they wouldn't send us to the front. I told him: 'Luchito, come, it's good work, good pay.' Luchito was killed."
He says he witnessed his friend among the dead. "I saw over 300 dead people—dead, torn to pieces."
Trafficking pipeline targets Colombians and Africans
The testimony describes a systematic recruitment operation. The men's group included seven Colombians and several Africans, who were separated upon arrival. Ten more Colombians arrived the following day.
"People kept arriving constantly. Colombians arrived continuously," one captive says. "It's a business. Recruiters get paid for each person they bring."
Of the seven Colombians in their group, three have already died.
Surrendered to Ukrainian forces without firing
Both men emphasize they never fired their weapons.
"We didn't shoot. Our magazines were fully loaded. I'm not a killer, I'm not a soldier. I came to work as a welder," one says.
When they encountered Ukrainian forces, they raised their hands and called for help. The contrast with their Russian handlers was immediate.
"When we surrendered to Ukrainian forces, everything was different. They offered us food, water, and help," one man says.
Warning to fellow Colombians
The captives conclude with a direct appeal to potential recruits.
"I'm addressing all Colombians who see this video. Please don't believe anyone—not Sergeant Kurt, not Jamie, not Sergeant Mike, not other recruiters. These are the worst liars in the world. They won't keep a single promise. They will never pay you. They will simply send you to die as cannon fodder."
