MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Up to 8,000 Latin Americans fight in Ukraine for Russia, many deceived, international report finds

In Peru, lawyers representing affected families report at least 13 dead, 73 missing, and more than 600 nationals recruited

An international report presented in Kyiv in late April estimates that between 1,000 and 8,000 Latin Americans are serving in the Russian army in its war against Ukraine, in what its authors describe as a global human-trafficking network run to replenish front-line casualties. The document, titled “Fighters, Mercenaries or Victims of Human Trafficking?”, was produced by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Ukrainian organization Truth Hounds, and the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights.

The report calculates that Russia has recruited at least 27,000 foreigners from more than 130 countries since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, and that the foreign contingent grew by more than 30% between September 2025 and February 2026. Ukrainian military intelligence projects that Moscow will add another 18,500 foreign combatants before the end of the year. In Latin America, Cuba and Colombia lead the recruitment; Brazil and Argentina appear with more sporadic cases.

Cuba is the most extensively documented case: at least 20,000 citizens have reportedly been sent to the front since 2023, according to figures cited by FIDH. The Ukrainian project “I Want to Live” confirmed 93 Cuban deaths by January 2026 and estimates average survival at 150 days after deployment. The island's economic crisis, with monthly wages of 15 to 30 euros, has made Russian offers difficult to refuse. The US State Department suggested in April that the Cuban government was facilitating the process, an accusation Havana denies.

In Colombia, President Gustavo Petro estimates that 7,000 nationals are involved in the conflict on both sides. An investigation by the newspaper El Espectador cited in the report documents companies created by retired Colombian Army colonels exporting former service members to Russia with monthly salaries of between 2,200 and 2,500 euros and signing bonuses of around 17,000 euros. Bogotá approved Law 2369 of 2026, which ratifies the UN Convention against mercenarism, and is advancing a bill specifically penalizing the participation of Colombians in foreign conflicts.

In Peru, lawyers representing affected families report at least 13 dead, 73 missing, and more than 600 nationals recruited. The network is made up of Peruvian, Colombian, and Mexican recruiters who offer contracts in security, mechanics, or training with salaries of up to 4,000 dollars and signing bonuses of 20,000 dollars. After the complaints became public, recruiters have begun presenting the offers as study scholarships or sports invitations. The Russian embassy in Bogotá has rejected state responsibility and said Moscow “does not deliberately recruit” foreign citizens. Ukraine, for its part, also receives Latin American combatants —between 2,000 and 3,000 Colombians— through its International Legion, under formal and transparent contracts.