Russia-Ukraine War Latest Live News: Colombian Families Sound Alarm Over Mercenaries Lured To Ukraine’s Front Lines With False Promises; ‘Dying For Nothing’

When Colombian President Gustavo Petro took to social media in May to declare that 7,000 of his compatriots were fighting and dying “without cause” in Ukraine, he was giving political voice to a grief that dozens of Colombian families had already been living privately for months.

That grief has now broken into the open again. The mother of a slain Colombian fighter has alleged that her son was recruited with false promises of high pay, had his passport confiscated on arrival, and that Colombian nationals serving in Ukrainian ranks are being held against their will and could be killed if they attempt to flee — claims relayed by Ruptly, a video agency operated by Russia’s state broadcaster RT.

The allegations, which could not be independently verified, arrive amid a broader and well-documented pattern of exploitation of Latin American recruits on both sides of the conflict, and a deepening crisis for the families they leave behind.

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Who Was Cristian Villalobos Susa?

Sonia Moreno told Ruptly that her son, Cristian Villalobos Susa, was killed fighting Russian forces in September 2025, and that Ukrainian recruiters had contacted him on social media and offered him a monthly salary of 19 million Colombian pesos, equivalent to approximately $6,000.

“But it was all fake,” Moreno said.

The family lost contact with Cristian as soon as he arrived in Ukraine, she recalled. Colombians, she alleged, have their passports taken away and their phones tampered with after they arrive in the country, “so that they no longer have any incentive to leave.”

Cristian’s sister, Laura Moreno Susa, said Colombian nationals were being mistreated and could face deadly consequences if they tried to escape. Moreno said she learned of her son’s death through social media because the Ukrainian military did not inform the family about what had happened to him.

Ukraine had not commented on the specific claims at the time of writing. The Ukrainian government has previously maintained that foreign volunteers joining its International Legion do so freely and sign contracts under Ukrainian law.

How Many Colombians Are Fighting — And Dying — In Ukraine?

The scale of Colombian participation in the conflict, whichever side is tallied, is striking. Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on X in May that 7,000 militarily trained Colombians were fighting for Ukraine and dying “without cause” in a foreign war, adding that his country did not intend to “export death” and that mercenary activity was prohibited under Colombian law.